February 2016: Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater at the Fox Theatre

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CONTENT

ALVIN AILEY’S AMERICAN DANCE THEATER | FEBRUARY 2016

AR EXPERIENCES

10 FEATURES

1

Front Cover

2

WellStar

3

Harlem Globetrotters

4

LaGrange Troup County Chamber

5

Fernbank Museum

7

Circus Camp

8

Emory Voice Center

9

Cirque du Soleil — Kurios

10 Battle Up!

10 Battle Up!

Robert Battle has taken his time since becoming the artistic leader of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, but his moment has arrived. By Julie Bookman

46 Six in the City

15

Schwartz Center for Performing Arts

16

Grady

32 PoshDealz 35 Broadway in Atlanta 46 Six in the City

From intown to OTP, big budget or small, we have a date-night spot for you. By A. Scott Walton

50 What to See in Atlanta Theater

Any theater city in America would be proud to boast this lineup of world premieres and Pulitzer Prizewinners. By Kathy Janich

50 What to See in Atlanta Theater … 53 Ruth’s Chris Steak House 55 Gordon Biersch 57 Center for Civil and Human Rights 59 Château Élan 61

17 Program 44 Information 45 Etiquette

63 Atlanta Steeplechase

49 Friends of the Fox

64 Southern Lexus Dealer Association

52 Dining Guide

INSTRUCTIONS

60 Fox Fun Facts

CONTESTS Don’t forget, on EncoreAtlanta.com/contests, you can win additional prizes, like show tickets to the Fox Theatre and more!

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62 Lure

1 Download the free “Encore Atlanta

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Battle Up!

Robert Battle has taken his time since becoming the artistic leader of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, but his moment has arrived. By Julie Bookman 10 ENCOREATLANTA.COM


Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater performs Robert Battle’s No Longer Silent.

T

his is Robert Battle’s big moment. Battle, only the third artistic director in the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater’s 58-year history, has taken his time making dramatic waves (although no less than The New York Times has said he’s “injected the company with new life”). But now comes his big splash. The company, the nation’s first and most prestigious repertory company rooted in AfricanAmerican dance has, in fact, pegged 2016 as “The Year of Robert Battle.” Two of his major works — Awakenings and No Longer Silent — will anchor Ailey performances during the company’s 20-city North

American tour. In keeping with tradition, the dancers are in Atlanta during Cupid’s peak season, partly because the company has a love affair with this town. “It’s palpable, the close relationship we have with Atlanta” says Battle, 43. “It’s like going home in a way.” That relationship has strengthened over the years — Ailey dancers have regularly led movement workshops in schools and offered other kinds of community outreach. “There’s a call-and-response from Atlanta, letting us know they are out there in the house and that they appreciate us,” Battle says. “The passion we get is quite different from other cities.” Awakenings is the first piece Battle has choreographed for the company

“There’s a calland-response from Atlanta, letting us know they are out there in the house and that they appreciate us. The passion we get is quite different from other cities.” ROBERT BATTLE

ATLANTA’S PERFORMING ARTS PUBLICATION

11


since succeeding the regal Judith Jamison in 2011. The ballet nods to his rise and celebrates company founder Alvin Ailey (1931-1989), who rose from poverty in small-town Texas to help shape modern black dance. Ailey’s pulse is still vibrant throughout the company. When Jamison choseBattle to succeed her, the first thing he did was visit the company’s archives to read interviews she did when Ailey died. “In every one she would evoke his name or spirit in some way,” he says. It didn’t end there. 12 ENCOREATLANTA.COM

“Even in her staff meetings, she would always remind everybody — from marketing to arts and education to maintenance — she would talk about Alvin and say, ‘You must remember he’s the reason we are all here. We are not forgetting where we came from. We are always honoring that.’ ” Awakenings, an 18-minute world premiere for 12 dancers, is something of a rite of passage. The central figure is trying to reach another plane of existence, and his community is inspiring him in the effort.

PAUL KOLNIK

ABOVE: Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in Robert Battle’s No Longer Silent. BELOW: AAADT’s Jamar Roberts in Robert Battle’s Awakening


Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater performs scenes from Robert Battle’s Awakenings.

Battle hopes his inaugural piece will “awaken something in all of us, something that allows any of us to see more clearly, even for just a moment — like a crack in the Earth’s atmosphere.” He created No Longer Silent, a 35-minute militaristic work, in 2007 for the Juilliard School and now sets it upon his dancers. Silent was initially part of a concert of choreography set to forgotten scores by composers whose work the Nazis had banned. Battle drew upon photographic images of World War II to

create the ballet that speaks to both oppression and the life of composer Erwin Schulhoff, who died in a concentration camp in 1942. There is tension within both works, and to help create that, “dancers need to experience something that makes them tip,” Battle says. Silent features intricate patterns and “a lot of weaving through each other — and there’s no room for error,” Battle says, or the dancers will collide. They may seem to be out of control, but don’t be fooled. It’s intentional. It reminds him in a way ATLANTA’S PERFORMING ARTS PUBLICATION 13


The Ailey company with artistic director Robert Battle (center). Battle says he hopes Awakenings, his inaugural piece for the company, will “awaken something in all of us, something that allows any of us to see more clearly, even for just a moment — like a crack in the Earth’s atmosphere.” .

14 ENCOREATLANTA.COM

of something the late poet Maya Angelou once said about her work: “Easy reading is damn hard writing.” Away from the studio, Battle — who describes his leadership style as low-key — says cooking is a passion and a way to unwind. “I like to observe and listen, to collect all the information I can before making a decision. But I also think I’m tough when I need to be.” He’s always the choreographer, though, even when in the kitchen. “I go online

and look up every recipe within reason, and I follow the things that seem to make sense. If one recipe says ‘try peanut butter,’ I will think about that and maybe try it. “But I like to consider every possible scenario. I enjoy the entire ritual: the shopping for ingredients, the bringing it all home, the chopping, the breaking it down, the transformation, the flavors marinating and deepening.” It’s no surprise when he says, “in some ways, it is like dance-making.”


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JULIAN BLISS SEPTET: A TRIBUTE TO BENNY GOODMAN Part of Emory Jazz Fest 2016 FEBRUARY 6, 2016

THE KNIGHTS WITH GIL SHAHAM VIOLIN FEBRUARY 20, 2016

NATHAN GUNN BARITONE MARCH 18, 2016

SCHWARTZ CENTER FOR

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I WOULDN’T BE HERE WITHOUT GRADY. I DIDN’T KNOW WHAT WAS HAPPENING TO ME. My body felt like lead. I couldn’t move. I didn’t know I was having a stroke. The ambulance got me to Grady. Thank God we have this world-class facility right here in Atlanta – the Marcus Stroke & Neuroscience Center. The doctor went into the artery in my brain and sucked out the blood clots. I mean how cool is that! Thank you, my Grady heroes, for making me whole again.

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Alvin Ailey, Founder Judith Jamison, Artistic Director Emerita

Robert Battle, Artistic Director Masazumi Chaya, Associate Artistic Director COMPANY MEMBERS Hope Boykin Jeroboam Bozeman Sean Aaron Carmon Elisa Clark Sarah Daley Ghrai DeVore Samantha Figgins Vernard J. Gilmore Jacqueline Green Daniel Harder Jacquelin Harris

Collin Heyward Demetia Hopkins-Greene Michael Jackson, Jr. Megan Jakel Yannick Lebrun Renaldo Maurice Michael Francis McBride Rachael McLaren Chalvar Monteiro Akua Noni Parker Danica Paulos

Belen Pereyra Jamar Roberts Samuel Lee Roberts Kanji Segawa Glenn Allen Sims Linda Celeste Sims Jermaine Terry Fana Tesfagiorgis Marcus Jarrell Willis

Matthew Rushing, Rehearsal Director and Guest Artist

Bennett Rink, Executive Director MADE POSSIBLE BY

LOCAL SUPPORT PROVIDED BY

Major funding is provided by the National Endowment for the Arts, the New York State Council on the Arts, the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, American Express, Bank of America, BET Networks, Bloomberg Philanthropies, BNY Mellon, Diageo, Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, FedEx, Ford Foundation, Howard Gilman Foundation, The Hearst Foundations, The Prudential Foundation, The Shubert Foundation, Southern Company, Target, The Wallace Foundation, and Wells Fargo.

ATLANTA’S PERFORMING ARTS PUBLICATION 17


PROGRAM NOTES WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 2016, at 8 PM

BLUES SUITE

(1958) Choreography by Alvin Ailey Restaged by Masazumi Chaya Music: Traditional Décor and Costumes by Ves Harper Costumes redesigned by Normand Maxon Costumes for “Yancey Special” by Jose Cornado Lighting by Nicola Cernovitch Lighting redesigned by Chenault Spence Dedicated to the memory of our Brother John Sellers. “Been down so long Getting up don't cross my mind... When you see me laughing I'm laughing to keep from crying...” From the fields and barrelhouses of the Southern Negro sprang the blues songs of lost love, despair, protest, and anger hymns to the secular regions of his soul. The Company

Good Morning Blues

Glenn Allen Sims and The Company

I Cried

Yannick Lebrun, Marcus Jarrell Willis, Samuel Lee Roberts, Vernard J. Gilmore, Michael Francis McBride

Mean Ol’ Frisco House of the Rising Sun

Jacqueline Green, Hope Boykin, Ghrai DeVore Linda Celeste Sims, Glenn Allen Sims

Backwater Blues In The Evening

Yannick Lebrun, Michael Francis McBride, Glenn Allen Sims, Marcus Jarrell Willis

Yancey Special

The Company

Slow Drag — Going to Chicago

The Company

Sham

The Company

Good Morning Blues

The Company

This new production of Blues Suite is made possible with major support from American Express. Generous support is also provided by the Richard L. Kauffman New Works Endowment Fund.

- INTERMISSION 18 ENCOREATLANTA.COM


PROGRAM NOTES NO LONGER SILENT

(2007, Ailey premiere 2015) Choreography by Robert Battle Restaged by Marlena Wolfe Music by Erwin Schulhoff Set design by Mimi Lien Costumes by Fritz Masten; Lighting by Nicole Pearce Daniel Harder, Jacqueline Green, Jamar Roberts, Belen Pereyra, Megan Jakel, Samuel Lee Roberts, Michael Francis McBride, Renaldo Maurice, Jacquelin Harris, Elisa Clark, Hope Boykin, Marcus Jarrell Willis, Yannick Lebrun, Kanji Segawa, Jeroboam Bozeman, Rachael McLaren, Sarah Daley, Demetia Hopkins-Greene Robert Battle’s dramatic ensemble work No Longer Silent, set to Erwin Schulhoff’s percussive score “Ogelala,” features dancers evoking a complex and mysterious ritual. Originally created in 2007 for The Juilliard School, Mr. Battle’s alma mater, the work was part of a concert of choreography that brought to life long-forgotten scores by composers whose work the Nazis had banned. Powerful phrases stir the imagination with images of flight and fatigue, chaos and unity, and collectivity and individualism as dancers, clad in all black, travel in military rows. The music, created between 1922 and 1925, provides an ever-shifting mechanical cadence against which the work builds dramatically to a piercing conclusion. This work is presented in conjunction with the 70th anniversary of the liberation of concentration camps Auschwitz and Buchenwald, which marked the end of the Holocaust. Denied employment after the Germans occupied Czechoslovakia, Schulhoff was prevented from emigrating and died of tuberculosis in the Wülzburg concentration camp in 1942. “Ogelala” Ballettmysterium Op. 53, by Erwin Schulhoff.

- INTERMISSION Celebrating the life of Dudley Williams (1938–2015) Ailey Company member (1964–2004)

LOVE SONGS

(1972) Choreography by Alvin Ailey Restaged by Masazumi Chaya Music by various artists Costume by Ursula Reed; Lighting by Chenault Spence “I love you in a place Where there’s no space or time... I love you for my life You’re a friend of mine...” Matthew Rushing This new production of Love Songs is made possible with generous support from Natasha Leibel Levine, M.D. & Harlan Levine, M.D. “A Song for You” composed by Leon Russell, performed by Donny Hathaway. Published by Irving Music, Inc. (BMI). “He Ain’t Heavy He’s My Brother” composed by Bob Russell and Robert Scott, performed by Donny Hathaway. Used by permission of Music Sales Corporation (ASCAP) and Amber Leigh Music, Inc. (ASCAP). “Poppies” composed by Lenny Bleecher and Jeremy Wind, performed by Nina Simone. By arrangement with Belwin Mills Publishing Corporation.

- PAUSE ATLANTA’S PERFORMING ARTS PUBLICATION 19


PROGRAM NOTES REVELATIONS

(1960) Choreography by Alvin Ailey Music: Traditional Décor and Costumes by Ves Harper Costumes for “Rocka My Soul” redesigned by Barbara Forbes Lighting by Nicola Cernovitch PILGRIM OF SORROW The Company

I Been ’Buked

Music arranged by Hall Johnson*

Jeroboam Bozeman, Elisa Clark, Fana Tesfagiorgis

Didn’t My Lord Deliver Daniel Music arranged by James Miller+

Sarah Daley, Collin Heyward

Fix Me, Jesus

Music arranged by Hall Johnson*

TAKE ME TO THE WATER Processional/Honor, Honor Music adapted and arranged by Howard A. Roberts

Kanji Segawa, Megan Jakel, Jeroboam Bozeman, Michael Jackson, Jr. Rachael McLaren, Yannick Lebrun, Akua Noni Parker

Wade in the Water

Music adapted and arranged by Howard A. Roberts “Wade in the Water” sequence by Ella Jenkins “A Man Went Down to the River” is an original composition by Ella Jenkins

Marcus Jarrell Willis

I Wanna Be Ready

Music arranged by James Miller+

MOVE, MEMBERS, MOVE Sinner Man Music adapted and arranged by Howard A. Roberts

Samuel Lee Roberts, Chalvar Monteiro, Michael Francis McBride

The Day is Past and Gone

The Company

You May Run On

The Company

Rocka My Soul in the Bosom of Abraham

The Company

Music arranged by Howard A. Roberts and Brother John Sellers Music arranged by Howard A. Roberts and Brother John Sellers Music adapted and arranged by Howard A. Roberts

* Used by arrangement with G. Schirmer, Inc., publisher and copyright owner. + Used by special arrangement with Galaxy Music Corporation, New York City.

All performances of Revelations are permanently endowed by a generous gift from Donald L. Jonas in celebration of the birthday of his wife, Barbara, and her deep commitment to Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater.

20 ENCOREATLANTA.COM


PROGRAM NOTES THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2016, at 8 PM and

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2016, at 2 PM and

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2016, at 3 PM

OPEN DOOR

(2015) Choreography by Ronald K. Brown Associate Choreographer: Arcell Cabuag Music by Luis Demetrio, Arturo O’Farrill, Tito Puente Costumes by Keiko Voltaire Lighting by Al Crawford THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2016, at 8 PM Linda Celeste Sims, Matthew Rushing, Glenn Allen Sims, Jamar Roberts, Daniel Harder, Vernard J. Gilmore, Belen Pereyra, Rachael McLaren, Akua Noni Parker, Hope Boykin SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2016, at 2 PM Jacqueline Green, Yannick Lebrun, Michael Francis McBride, Collin Heyward, Jeroboam Bozeman, Chalvar Monteiro, Belen Pereyra, Fana Tesfagiorgis, Sarah Daley, Jacquelin Harris SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2016, at 3 PM Jacqueline Green, Yannick Lebrun, Michael Francis McBride, Collin Heyward, Jeroboam Bozeman, Chalvar Monteiro, Demetia Hopkins-Greene, Fana Tesfagiorgis, Sarah Daley, Jacquelin Harris The creation of Open Door is supported by commissioning funds from New York City Center. Generous support is provided by The Jaharis Family Foundation, Tracy Elise Poole, and The Kansas City Friends of Alvin Ailey — Sara & Bill Morgan New Works Endowment Fund “La Puerta” by Luis Demetrio, performed by Arturo O’Farrill and the Afro-Latin Jazz Orchestra. “All of the Americas” is the 2nd movement of "Afro Latin Jazz Suite” by Arturo O’Farrill, performed by Arturo O’Farrill and the Afro-Latin Jazz Orchestra. “Vaca Frita” by Arturo O’Farrill, performed by Arturo O’Farrill and the Afro-Latin Jazz Orchestra. “Picadillo” by Tito Puente, performed by Arturo O’Farrill and the Afro-Latin Jazz Orchestra.

- PAUSE -

ATLANTA’S PERFORMING ARTS PUBLICATION 21


PROGRAM NOTES CRY

(1971) Choreography by Alvin Ailey Restaged by Masazumi Chaya Choreography coaching by Judith Jamison, Donna Wood Sanders Music by Alice Coltrane, Laura Nyro, Chuck Griffin Costume by A. Christina Giannini Lighting by Chenault Spence For all Black women everywhere—especially our mothers. THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2016, at 8 PM Jacqueline Green SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2016, at 2 PM Demetia Hopkins-Greene SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2016, at 3 PM Rachael McLaren This new production of Cry is made possible with generous support from Judith McDonough Kaminski and Joseph Kaminski. The original production of Cry was made possible, in part, by a grant from Ford Foundation. “Something About John Coltrane” written by Alice Coltrane. Published by Jowcol Music. “Been on a Train” 100% Laura Nyro (BMI) – EMI Blackwood Music Inc. (BMI). © 1971 EMI Blackwood Music Inc. All rights administered by Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC., 424 Church Street, Suite 1200, Nashville, TN 37219. All rights reserved. Used by permission. “Right On, Be Free” written by Chuck Griffin, performed by The Voices of East Harlem. Used with permission of the publisher, Really Together Music.

- INTERMISSION -

22 ENCOREATLANTA.COM


PROGRAM NOTES AWAKENING

(2015) Choreography by Robert Battle Assistants to the Choreographer: Marlena Wolfe, Elisa Clark Music by John Mackey Costumes by Jon Taylor Lighting by Al Crawford Awakening is dedicated to Joan Weill in appreciation of her inspired leadership, wisdom, caring, and grace. THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2016, at 8 PM Jamar Roberts, Rachael McLaren, Demetia Hopkins-Greene, Fana Tesfagiorgis, Belen Pereyra, Elisa Clark, Jacquelin Harris, Yannick Lebrun, Michael Francis McBride, Samuel Lee Roberts, Daniel Harder, Kanji Segawa SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2016, at 2 PM and SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2016, at 3 PM Jeroboam Bozeman, Danica Paulos, Sarah Daley, Fana Tesfagiorgis, Megan Jakel, Samantha Figgins, Ghrai DeVore, Chalvar Monteiro, Marcus Jarrell Willis, Collin Heyward, Renaldo Maurice, Michael Jackson, Jr. Major support for the creation of Awakening is provided by the Howard Gilman Foundation. Commission supported by the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County with lead sponsor support from Ira and Carole Hall. Awakening is supported by commissioning funds from Cal Performances at the University of California, Berkeley. The world premiere of Awakening is also made possible by Daria L. & Eric J. Wallach, the Elaine P. Wynn & Family Foundation, Roberta Campbell & Richard Gray, the Fred Eychaner New Works Endowment Fund, and the Pamela D. Zilly & John H. Schaefer New Works Endowment Fund. “Turning” by John Mackey. Performed by the Florida State University Wind Orchestra, conducted by Richard Clary. “The Attentions of Souls” from “Wine-Dark Sea: Symphony for Band” by John Mackey. Performed by the University of Texas Wind Ensemble, conducted by Jerry Junkin.

- INTERMISSION -

ATLANTA’S PERFORMING ARTS PUBLICATION 23


PROGRAM NOTES THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2016, at 8 PM

REVELATIONS

(1960) Choreography by Alvin Ailey Music: Traditional Décor and Costumes by Ves Harper Costumes for “Rocka My Soul” redesigned by Barbara Forbes Lighting by Nicola Cernovitch PILGRIM OF SORROW The Company

I Been ’Buked

Music arranged by Hall Johnson*

Marcus Jarrell Willis, Hope Boykin, Demetia Hopkins-Greene

Didn’t My Lord Deliver Daniel Music arranged by James Miller+

Akua Noni Parker, Yannick Lebrun

Fix Me, Jesus

Music arranged by Hall Johnson*

TAKE ME TO THE WATER Renaldo Maurice, Megan Jakel, Jermaine Terry, Sean Aaron Carmon

Processional/Honor, Honor Music adapted and arranged by Howard A. Roberts

Linda Celeste Sims, Glenn Allen Sims, Fana Tesfagiorgis

Wade in the Water

Music adapted and arranged by Howard A. Roberts “Wade in the Water” sequence by Ella Jenkins “A Man Went Down to the River” is an original composition by Ella Jenkins

Jamar Roberts

I Wanna Be Ready

Music arranged by James Miller+

MOVE, MEMBERS, MOVE Sinner Man Music adapted and arranged by Howard A. Roberts

Samuel Lee Roberts, Sean Aaron Carmon, Michael Francis McBride

The Day is Past and Gone

The Company

You May Run On

The Company

Rocka My Soul in the Bosom of Abraham

The Company

Music arranged by Howard A. Roberts and Brother John Sellers Music arranged by Howard A. Roberts and Brother John Sellers Music adapted and arranged by Howard A. Roberts

* Used by arrangement with G. Schirmer, Inc., publisher and copyright owner. + Used by special arrangement with Galaxy Music Corporation, New York City.

All performances of Revelations are permanently endowed by a generous gift from Donald L. Jonas in celebration of the birthday of his wife, Barbara, and her deep commitment to Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. 24 ENCOREATLANTA.COM


PROGRAM NOTES SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2016, at 2 PM

REVELATIONS

(1960) Choreography by Alvin Ailey Music: Traditional Décor and Costumes by Ves Harper Costumes for “Rocka My Soul” redesigned by Barbara Forbes Lighting by Nicola Cernovitch PILGRIM OF SORROW The Company

I Been ’Buked

Music arranged by Hall Johnson*

Michael Francis McBride, Jacquelin Harris, Samantha Figgins

Didn’t My Lord Deliver Daniel Music arranged by James Miller+

Megan Jakel, Marcus Jarrell Willis

Fix Me, Jesus

Music arranged by Hall Johnson*

TAKE ME TO THE WATER Kanji Segawa, Danica Paulos, Jermaine Terry, Michael Jackson, Jr.

Processional/Honor, Honor Music adapted and arranged by Howard A. Roberts

Ghrai DeVore, Renaldo Maurice, Fana Tesfagiorgis

Wade in the Water

Music adapted and arranged by Howard A. Roberts “Wade in the Water” sequence by Ella Jenkins “A Man Went Down to the River” is an original composition by Ella Jenkins

Yannick Lebrun

I Wanna Be Ready

Music arranged by James Miller+

MOVE, MEMBERS, MOVE Sinner Man Music adapted and arranged by Howard A. Roberts

Michael Jackson, Jr., Sean Aaron Carmon, Chalvar Monteiro

The Day is Past and Gone

The Company

You May Run On

The Company

Rocka My Soul in the Bosom of Abraham

The Company

Music arranged by Howard A. Roberts and Brother John Sellers Music arranged by Howard A. Roberts and Brother John Sellers Music adapted and arranged by Howard A. Roberts

* Used by arrangement with G. Schirmer, Inc., publisher and copyright owner. + Used by special arrangement with Galaxy Music Corporation, New York City.

All performances of Revelations are permanently endowed by a generous gift from Donald L. Jonas in celebration of the birthday of his wife, Barbara, and her deep commitment to Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. ATLANTA’S PERFORMING ARTS PUBLICATION 25


PROGRAM NOTES SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2016, at 3 PM

REVELATIONS

(1960) Choreography by Alvin Ailey Music: Traditional Décor and Costumes by Ves Harper Costumes for “Rocka My Soul” redesigned by Barbara Forbes Lighting by Nicola Cernovitch PILGRIM OF SORROW The Company

I Been ’Buked

Music arranged by Hall Johnson*

Renaldo Maurice, Danica Paulos, Fana Tesfagiorgis

Didn’t My Lord Deliver Daniel Music arranged by James Miller+

Megan Jakel, Michael Jackson, Jr.

Fix Me, Jesus

Music arranged by Hall Johnson*

TAKE ME TO THE WATER Processional/Honor, Honor Music adapted and arranged by Howard A. Roberts

Samuel Lee Roberts, Samantha Figgins, Jermaine Terry, Collin Heyward Ghrai DeVore, Vernard J. Gilmore, Akua Noni Parker

Wade in the Water

Music adapted and arranged by Howard A. Roberts “Wade in the Water” sequence by Ella Jenkins “A Man Went Down to the River” is an original composition by Ella Jenkins

Michael Francis McBride

I Wanna Be Ready

Music arranged by James Miller+

MOVE, MEMBERS, MOVE Sinner Man Music adapted and arranged by Howard A. Roberts

Jeroboam Bozeman, Collin Heyward, Chalvar Monteiro

The Day is Past and Gone

The Company

You May Run On

The Company

Rocka My Soul in the Bosom of Abraham

The Company

Music arranged by Howard A. Roberts and Brother John Sellers Music arranged by Howard A. Roberts and Brother John Sellers Music adapted and arranged by Howard A. Roberts

* Used by arrangement with G. Schirmer, Inc., publisher and copyright owner. + Used by special arrangement with Galaxy Music Corporation, New York City.

All performances of Revelations are permanently endowed by a generous gift from Donald L. Jonas in celebration of the birthday of his wife, Barbara, and her deep commitment to Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. 26 ENCOREATLANTA.COM


PROGRAM NOTES FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2016, at 8 PM and

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2016, at 8 PM

EXODUS

(2015) Choreography by Rennie Harris Assistant Choreographer/Rehearsal Director: Nina Flagg Music by various artists Costumes by Jon Taylor Lighting by James Clotfelter Choreographer’s Assistant: Millie Heckler FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2016, at 8 PM Jamar Roberts, Matthew Rushing, Linda Celeste Sims, Hope Boykin, Belen Pereyra, Jacqueline Green, Akua Noni Parker, Ghrai DeVore, Sarah Daley, Vernard J. Gilmore, Daniel Harder, Glenn Allen Sims, Renaldo Maurice, Michael Jackson, Jr., Jeroboam Bozeman, Yannick Lebrun SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2016, at 8 PM Jeroboam Bozeman, Renaldo Maurice, Rachael McLaren, Jacquelin Harris, Demetia Hopkins-Greene, Fana Tesfagiorgis, Samantha Figgins, Megan Jakel, Danica Paulos, Chalvar Monteiro, Sean Aaron Carmon, Collin Heyward, Samuel Lee Roberts, Marcus Jarrell Willis, Vernard J. Gilmore, Jermaine Terry The world premiere of Exodus is made possible with leadership support from Melinda & Paul Pressler. Original compositions by Raphael Xavier “A New Deal.”

- INTERMISSION -

ATLANTA’S PERFORMING ARTS PUBLICATION 27


PROGRAM NOTES PIAZZOLLA CALDERA

(1997, Ailey premiere 2015) Choreography by Paul Taylor Restaged by Richard Chen See Music by Astor Piazzolla, Jerzy Peterburshsky Set, Décor, and Costumes by Santo Loquasto Lighting by Jennifer Tipton FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2016, at 8 PM Linda Celeste Sims, Belen Pereyra, Yannick Lebrun, Daniel Harder, Michael Francis McBride, Rachael McLaren, Jamar Roberts, Elisa Clark, Samantha Figgins, Renaldo Maurice, Jeroboam Bozeman, Collin Heyward The Company

El Sol Sueño

Linda Celeste Sims, Belen Pereyra, Yannick Lebrun

Concierto Para Quinteto

Daniel Harder, Michael Francis McBride, Rachael McLaren, Jamar Roberts

Celos

The Company

Escualo

The Company premiere of Piazzolla Caldera is supported by the Jeanne Greenberg Rohatyn & Nicolas Rohatyn New Works Endowment Fund. “El Sol Sueno.” Music by Jerzy Peterburshsky, performed by Gidon Kremer. “Concierto para quintet.” Music by Astor Piazzolla, performed by Gidon Kremer featuring Astor Piazzolla. “Celos.” Music by Astor Piazzolla© Copyright 1982 by Edizioni Curci S.r.l., Milan / A. Pagani S.r.l., Fino Mornasco (CO)/ Italy U.S. Rights for Edizioni Curci S.r.l., Milan / A. Pagani S.r.l, Fino Mornasco (CO) Controlled and Administered by Spirit Two Music Inc. (ASCAP) o/b/o Curci U.S.A. Music Publishing. Used By Permission. All Rights Reserved. “Escualo.” Music by Astor Piazzolla© Copyright 1980 by Edizioni Curci S.r.l., Milan / A. Pagani S.r.l., Fino Mornasco (CO)/ Italy US Rights for Edizioni Curci S.r.l., Milan / A. Pagani S.r.l., Fino Mornasco (CO) Controlled and Administered by Spirit Two Music Inc. (ASCAP) o/b/o Curci U.S.A. Music Publishing. Used By Permission. All Rights Reserved.

- INTERMISSION -

28 ENCOREATLANTA.COM


PROGRAM NOTES NO LONGER SILENT (2007, Ailey premiere 2015) Choreography by Robert Battle Restaged by Marlena Wolfe Music by Erwin Schulhoff Set design by Mimi Lien Costumes by Fritz Masten Lighting by Nicole Pearce SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2016, at 8 PM Daniel Harder, Jacqueline Green, Jamar Roberts, Belen Pereyra, Megan Jakel, Samuel Lee Roberts, Michael Francis McBride, Renaldo Maurice, Jacquelin Harris, Elisa Clark, Hope Boykin, Marcus Jarrell Willis, Yannick Lebrun, Kanji Segawa, Jeroboam Bozeman, Rachael McLaren, Sarah Daley, Demetia Hopkins-Greene Robert Battle’s dramatic ensemble work No Longer Silent, set to Erwin Schulhoff’s percussive score “Ogelala,” features dancers evoking a complex and mysterious ritual. Originally created in 2007 for The Juilliard School, Mr. Battle’s alma mater, the work was part of a concert of choreography that brought to life long-forgotten scores by composers whose work the Nazis had banned. Powerful phrases stir the imagination with images of flight and fatigue, chaos and unity, and collectivity and individualism as dancers, clad in all black, travel in military rows. The music, created between 1922 and 1925, provides an ever-shifting mechanical cadence against which the work builds dramatically to a piercing conclusion. This work is presented in conjunction with the 70th anniversary of the liberation of concentration camps Auschwitz and Buchenwald, which marked the end of the Holocaust. Denied employment after the Germans occupied Czechoslovakia, Schulhoff was prevented from emigrating and died of tuberculosis in the Wülzburg concentration camp in 1942. “Ogelala” Ballettmysterium Op. 53, by Erwin Schulhoff.

- INTERMISSION -

ATLANTA’S PERFORMING ARTS PUBLICATION 29


PROGRAM NOTES FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2016, at 8 PM

REVELATIONS

(1960) Choreography by Alvin Ailey Music: Traditional Décor and Costumes by Ves Harper Costumes for “Rocka My Soul” redesigned by Barbara Forbes Lighting by Nicola Cernovitch PILGRIM OF SORROW The Company

I Been ’Buked

Music arranged by Hall Johnson*

Renaldo Maurice, Elisa Clark, Danica Paulos

Didn’t My Lord Deliver Daniel Music arranged by James Miller+

Ghrai DeVore, Michael Jackson, Jr.

Fix Me, Jesus

Music arranged by Hall Johnson*

TAKE ME TO THE WATER Processional/Honor, Honor Music adapted and arranged by Howard A. Roberts

Kanji Segawa, Samantha Figgins, Jeroboam Bozeman, Sean Aaron Carmon Belen Pereyra, Vernard J. Gilmore, Akua Noni Parker

Wade in the Water

Music adapted and arranged by Howard A. Roberts “Wade in the Water” sequence by Ella Jenkins “A Man Went Down to the River” is an original composition by Ella Jenkins

Matthew Rushing

I Wanna Be Ready

Music arranged by James Miller+

MOVE, MEMBERS, MOVE Sinner Man Music adapted and arranged by Howard A. Roberts

Collin Heyward, Daniel Harder, Sean Aaron Carmon

The Day is Past and Gone

The Company

You May Run On

The Company

Rocka My Soul in the Bosom of Abraham

The Company

Music arranged by Howard A. Roberts and Brother John Sellers Music arranged by Howard A. Roberts and Brother John Sellers Music adapted and arranged by Howard A. Roberts

* Used by arrangement with G. Schirmer, Inc., publisher and copyright owner. + Used by special arrangement with Galaxy Music Corporation, New York City.

All performances of Revelations are permanently endowed by a generous gift from Donald L. Jonas in celebration of the birthday of his wife, Barbara, and her deep commitment to Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. 30 ENCOREATLANTA.COM


PROGRAM NOTES SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2016, at 8 PM

REVELATIONS

(1960) Choreography by Alvin Ailey Music: Traditional Décor and Costumes by Ves Harper Costumes for “Rocka My Soul” redesigned by Barbara Forbes Lighting by Nicola Cernovitch PILGRIM OF SORROW The Company

I Been ’Buked

Music arranged by Hall Johnson*

Collin Heyward, Megan Jakel, Danica Paulos

Didn’t My Lord Deliver Daniel Music arranged by James Miller+

Akua Noni Parker, Jamar Roberts

Fix Me, Jesus

Music arranged by Hall Johnson*

TAKE ME TO THE WATER Chalvar Monteiro, Samantha Figgins, Collin Heyward, Sean Aaron Carmon

Processional/Honor, Honor Music adapted and arranged by Howard A. Roberts

Rachael McLaren, Michael Jackson, Jr., Demetia Hopkins-Greene

Wade in the Water

Music adapted and arranged by Howard A. Roberts “Wade in the Water” sequence by Ella Jenkins “A Man Went Down to the River” is an original composition by Ella Jenkins

Matthew Rushing

I Wanna Be Ready

Music arranged by James Miller+

MOVE, MEMBERS, MOVE Sinner Man Music adapted and arranged by Howard A. Roberts

Samuel Lee Roberts, Sean Aaron Carmon, Kanji Segawa

The Day is Past and Gone

The Company

You May Run On

The Company

Rocka My Soul in the Bosom of Abraham

The Company

Music arranged by Howard A. Roberts and Brother John Sellers Music arranged by Howard A. Roberts and Brother John Sellers Music adapted and arranged by Howard A. Roberts

* Used by arrangement with G. Schirmer, Inc., publisher and copyright owner. + Used by special arrangement with Galaxy Music Corporation, New York City.

All performances of Revelations are permanently endowed by a generous gift from Donald L. Jonas in celebration of the birthday of his wife, Barbara, and her deep commitment to Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. ATLANTA’S PERFORMING ARTS PUBLICATION 31


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BIOS ALL ABOUT AILEY Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater grew from a now-fabled performance in March 1958 at the 92nd Street Y in New York City. Led by Alvin Ailey and a group of young African-American modern dancers, that performance changed forever the perception of American dance. The Ailey company has gone on to perform for an estimated 25 million people at theaters in 48 states and 71 countries on six continents—and has reached millions more through television broadcasts, film screenings, and online platforms. In 2008, a U.S. Congressional resolution designated the Company as “a vital American cultural ambassador to the world” that celebrates the uniqueness of the African-American cultural experience and the preservation and enrichment of the American modern dance heritage. When Mr. Ailey began creating dances, he drew upon his “blood memories” of Texas, the blues, spirituals, and gospel as inspiration, which resulted in the creation of his most popular and critically acclaimed work, Revelations. Although he created 79 ballets over his lifetime, Mr. Ailey maintained that his company was not exclusively a repository for his own work. Today the Company continues Mr. Ailey’s mission by presenting important works of the past and commissioning new ones. In all, more than 235 works by more than 90 choreographers have been part of the Ailey company’s repertory. Before his untimely death in 1989, Mr. Ailey named Judith Jamison as his successor, and over the next 21 years she brought the Company to unprecedented success. Ms. Jamison, in turn, personally selected Robert Battle to succeed her in 2011, and The New York Times declared he “has injected the company with new life.” Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater gratefully acknowledges The Joan & Sandy Weill Global Ambassador Fund, which provides vital support for Ailey’s national and international tours.

ROBERT BATTLE, ARTISTIC DIRECTOR Robert Battle became artistic director of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in July 2011 after being personally selected by Judith Jamison, making him only the third person to head the Company since it was founded in 1958. Mr. Battle has a longstanding association with the Ailey organization. A frequent choreographer and artist-in-residence at Ailey since 1999, he has set many of his works on Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater and Ailey II, and at The Ailey School. The Company’s current repertory includes his ballets No Longer Silent and Awakening. In addition to expanding the Ailey repertory with works by artists as diverse as Kyle Abraham, Aszure Barton, Ronald K. Brown, Rennie Harris, Matthew Rushing, Hofesh Shechter, Paul Taylor, and Christopher Wheeldon, Mr. Battle has also instituted the New Directions Choreography Lab to help develop the next generation of choreographers. Mr. Battle’s journey to the top of the modern dance world began in the Liberty City neighborhood of Miami, Florida. He showed artistic talent early and studied dance at a high school arts magnet program before moving on to Miami’s New World School of the Arts, under the direction of Daniel Lewis and Gerri Houlihan, and finally to the dance program at The Juilliard School, under the direction of Benjamin Harkarvy, where he met his mentor, Carolyn 34 ENCOREATLANTA.COM

Adams. He danced with The Parsons Dance Company from 1994 to 2001, and also set his choreography on that company starting in 1998. Mr. Battle then founded his own Battleworks Dance Company, which made its debut in 2002 in Düsseldorf, Germany, as the U.S. representative to the World Dance Alliance’s Global Assembly. Battleworks subsequently performed extensively at venues, including The Joyce Theater, Dance Theater Workshop, American Dance Festival, and Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival. Mr. Battle was honored as one of the “Masters of AfricanAmerican Choreography” by the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in 2005, and he received the prestigious Statue Award from the Princess Grace Foundation-USA in 2007. He has honorary doctorates from The University of the Arts and Marymount Manhattan College. Most recently, Mr. Battle was named a 2015 Visiting Fellow for The Art of Change, an initiative by the Ford Foundation. He is a sought-after keynote speaker and has addressed a number of high-profile organizations, including the United Nations Leaders Programme and the UNICEF Senior Leadership Development Programme.

MASAZUMI CHAYA, ASSOCIATE ARTISTIC DIRECTOR Masazumi Chaya was born in Fukuoka, Japan, where he began his classical ballet training. Upon moving to New York in December 1970,


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ATLANTA’S PERFORMING ARTS PUBLICATION 35


BIOS he studied modern dance and performed with the Richard Englund Repertory Company. Mr. Chaya joined Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in 1972 and performed with the Company for 15 years. In 1988, he became the Company’s rehearsal director after serving as assistant rehearsal director for two years. A master teacher both on tour with the Company and in his native Japan, he served as choreographic assistant to Alvin Ailey and John Butler. In 1991, Mr. Chaya was named associate artistic director of the Company. He continues to provide invaluable creative assistance in all facets of its operations. Mr. Chaya has restaged numerous ballets by Alvin Ailey, including Flowers for the State Ballet of Missouri (1990) and The River for the Royal Swedish Ballet (1993), Ballet Florida (1995), National Ballet of Prague (1995), Pennsylvania Ballet (1996), and Colorado Ballet (1998). He has also restaged The Mooche, The Stack-Up, Episodes, Bad Blood, Hidden Rites, and Witness for the Company. At the beginning of his tenure as associate artistic director, Mr. Chaya restaged Ailey’s For ‘Bird’ - With Love for a Dance in America program entitled Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater: Steps Ahead. In 2000, he restaged Ailey’s Night Creature for the Rome Opera House and The River for La Scala Ballet. In 2002, Mr. Chaya coordinated the Company’s appearance at the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree-lighting ceremony, broadcast on NBC. In 2003, he restaged The River for North Carolina Dance Theatre and for Julio Bocca’s Ballet Argentina. Most recently, Mr. Chaya restaged Pas de Duke, Vespers, Bad Blood, Love Songs, and Blues Suite for the Company. As a performer, Mr. Chaya appeared on Japanese television in both dramatic and musical productions. He wishes to recognize the artistic contribution and spirit of his late friend and fellow artist, Michihiko Oka.

ALVIN AILEY, FOUNDER Alvin Ailey was born on January 5, 1931, in Rogers, Texas. His experiences of life in the rural South would later inspire some of his most memorable works. He was introduced to dance in Los Angeles by performances of the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo and the Katherine Dunham Dance Company, and his formal dance training began with an introduction to Lester Horton’s classes by his friend Carmen de Lavallade. Horton, the founder of one of the first raciallyintegrated dance companies in the United States, became a mentor for Mr. Ailey as he embarked on his professional career. After Horton’s death 36 ENCOREATLANTA.COM

in 1953, Mr. Ailey became director of the Lester Horton Dance Theater and began to choreograph his own works. In the 1950s and 60s, Mr. Ailey performed in four Broadway shows, including House of Flowers and Jamaica. In 1958, he founded Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater to carry out his vision of a company dedicated to enriching the American modern dance heritage and preserving the uniqueness of the AfricanAmerican cultural experience. He established the Alvin Ailey American Dance Center (now The Ailey School) in 1969 and formed the Alvin Ailey Repertory Ensemble (now Ailey II) in 1974. Mr. Ailey was a pioneer of programs promoting arts in education, particularly those benefiting underserved communities. Throughout his lifetime he was awarded numerous distinctions, including the Kennedy Center Honor in 1988 in recognition of his extraordinary contribution to American culture. In 2014, he posthumously received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the country’s highest civilian honor, in recognition of his contributions and commitment to civil rights and dance in America. When Mr. Ailey died on December 1, 1989, The New York Times said of him, “you didn’t need to have known [him] personally to have been touched by his humanity, enthusiasm, and exuberance and his courageous stand for multi-racial brotherhood.”

JUDITH JAMISON, ARTISTIC DIRECTOR EMERITA Judith Jamison joined Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in 1965 and quickly became an international star. Over the next 15 years, Mr. Ailey created some of his most enduring roles for her, most notably the tour-de-force solo Cry. During the 1970s and 80s, she appeared as a guest artist with ballet companies all over the world, starred in the hit Broadway musical Sophisticated Ladies, and formed her own company, The Jamison Project. She returned to Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in 1989 when Mr. Ailey asked her to succeed him as artistic director. In the 21 years that followed, she brought the Company to unprecedented heights—including two historic engagements in South Africa and a 50-city global tour to celebrate the Company’s 50th anniversary. Ms. Jamison is the recipient of numerous awards and honors, among them a prime time Emmy Award, an American Choreography Award, a Kennedy Center Honor, a National Medal of Arts, a Bessie Award, the Phoenix Award, and the Handel Medallion. She was


BIOS also listed in “The TIME 100: The World’s Most Influential People” and honored by First Lady Michelle Obama at the first White House Dance Series event. This year she became the 50th inductee into the Hall of Fame at the National Museum of Dance. As a highly regarded choreographer, Ms. Jamison has created many celebrated works, including Divining (1984), Forgotten Time (1989), Hymn (1993), HERE… NOW. (commissioned for the 2002 Cultural Olympiad), Love Stories (with additional choreography by Robert Battle and Rennie Harris, 2004), and Among Us (Private Spaces: Public Places, 2009). Ms. Jamison’s autobiography, Dancing Spirit, was edited by Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis and published in 1993. In 2004, under Ms. Jamison’s artistic directorship, her idea of a permanent home for the Ailey company was realized and named after beloved chairman emerita Joan Weill. Ms. Jamison continues to dedicate herself to asserting the prominence of the arts in our culture and she remains committed to promoting the significance of the Ailey legacy—using dance as a medium for honoring the past, celebrating the present, and fearlessly reaching into the future.

MATTHEW RUSHING, REHEARSAL DIRECTOR AND GUEST ARTIST Matthew Rushing was born in Los Angeles, California. He began his dance training with Kashmir Blake in Inglewood, California, and later continued his training at the Los Angeles County High School for the Arts. He is the recipient of a Spotlight Award and a Dance Magazine Award and was named a Presidential Scholar in the Arts. He was a scholarship student at The Ailey School and later became a member of Ailey II, where he danced for a year. During his career, Mr. Rushing has performed as a guest artist for galas in Vail, Colorado, as well as in Austria, Canada, France, Italy, and Russia. He has performed for Presidents George H. W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, and Barack Obama, as well as at the 2010 White House Dance Series. During his time with the Company, he has choreographed three ballets: Acceptance In Surrender (2005), a collaboration with Hope Boykin and Abdur-Rahim Jackson; Uptown (2009), a tribute to the Harlem Renaissance; and ODETTA (2014), a celebration of “the queen of American folk music.” In 2012, he

created Moan, which was set on Philadanco and premiered at The Joyce Theater. Mr. Rushing joined the Company in 1992 and became rehearsal director in June 2010.

CHOREOGRAPHERS RONALD K. BROWN founded Evidence, A Dance Company in 1985. He has worked with Mary Anthony Dance Theater and Jennifer Muller/The Works and has set works on Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Ailey II, Philadanco, Cleo Parker Robinson Ensemble, Dayton Contemporary Dance Company, Philadanco, Muntu Dance Theater of Chicago, Ballet Hispanico, and MalPaso. Mr. Brown is the recipient of two Black Theater Alliance Awards, a Fred and Adele Astaire Award for Outstanding Choreography on Broadway for the Tony Award–winning The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess, and an AUDELCO Award for his choreography for Regina Taylor’s Crowns. Mr. Brown has also received the Doris Duke Artist Award, John Guggenheim Memorial Fellowship, National Endowment for the Arts Choreographer’s Fellowship, New York Foundation for the Arts Fellowship, United States Artists Rose Fellowship, The Ailey School Apex Award for teaching, and a Def Dance Jam Mentor of the Year Award. RENNIE HARRIS was born and raised in an African-American community in North Philadelphia. In 1992, he founded Rennie Harris Puremovement, a hip-hop dance theater company dedicated to preserving and disseminating hip-hop culture. Voted one of the most influential people in the last 100 years of Philadelphia history, Mr. Harris has received several accolades, including the Herb Alpert Award in the Arts, the Governor’s Arts Award, a United States Artist Fellowship, and an honorary doctorate from Bates College. The London Times wrote of Mr. Harris that he is “the Basquiat of the U.S. contemporary dance scene.” Rennie Harris Puremovement was chosen by DanceMotion USA as one of four companies to serve as citizen diplomats, and toured in Egypt, Israel, Palestinian territories, and Jordan in 2012. PAUL TAYLOR is the greatest living pioneer of American modern dance, with 143 dances made since 1954 when he established the Paul Taylor Dance Company. He continues to offer cogent observations on life’s complexities and society’s thorniest issues through his dances. ATLANTA’S PERFORMING ARTS PUBLICATION 37


BIOS A virtuoso dancer for 20 years, Mr. Taylor turned exclusively to choreography in 1974; the dance that followed, Esplanade, was hailed an instant classic. His works are performed by the Taylor Company, Taylor 2 and ballet and modern dance companies the world over. In 2015, he established Paul Taylor’s Modern American Dance to bring to Lincoln Center – in addition to his own repertoire – great dances of the past and present by other choreographers, and works by the next generation of choreographers working directly on his dancers. A Kennedy Center honoree, he is the subject of the Oscar-nominated documentary, Dancemaker and author of the acclaimed autobiography Private Domain.

WHO'S WHO IN THE COMPANY HOPE BOYKIN (Durham, NC) is a threetime recipient of the American Dance Festival’s Young Tuition Scholarship. She attended Howard University and, while in Washington, D.C., performed with Lloyd Whitmore’s New World Dance Company. Ms. Boykin was a student and intern at The Ailey School. She was assistant to the late Talley Beatty and an original member of Complexions. Ms. Boykin was a member of Philadanco and received a New York Dance and Performance Award (Bessie). In 2005, Ms. Boykin choreographed Acceptance In Surrender in collaboration with Abdur-Rahim Jackson and Matthew Rushing for Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. Most recently, she choreographed Go in Grace with award-winning singing group Sweet Honey in the Rock for the Company’s 50th anniversary season. Ms. Boykin joined the Company in 2000. JEROBOAM BOZEMAN (Brooklyn, NY) began his dance training under Ruth Sistaire at the Ronald Edmonds Learning Center. He later joined Creative Outlet, and was granted full scholarships at the Joffrey Ballet School and Dance Theatre of Harlem. Mr. Bozeman is a gold-medal recipient of the NAACP ACTSO Competition in Dance. He performed in Elton John and Tim Rice’s Broadway musical Aida (international tour in China) and was a part of Philadanco, Donald Byrd’s Spectrum Dance Theater, and Ailey II. Mr. Bozeman joined the Company in 2013.

SEAN AARON CARMON (Beaumont, TX) attended New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts and later graduated from the Ailey/Fordham BFA Program in Dance. 38 ENCOREATLANTA.COM

He was a member of Elisa Monte Dance and subsequently originated the role of Phaedra in the 2010 Tony Award–winning revival of La Cage Aux Folles. Mr. Carmon also performed in the longest-running musical on Broadway, The Phantom of the Opera. He has appeared as a guest artist with the International Dance Association in Italy and with the Cape Dance Company in South Africa. As a choreographer and jazz teacher, he has taught at and set works, both original and as a répétiteur, on numerous high schools, colleges, and companies, both nationally and internationally. Mr. Carmon joined the Company in 2011. ELISA CLARK (Brandywine, MD) received her early training from the Maryland Youth Ballet and earned her BFA from The Juilliard School, under the direction of Benjamin Harkarvy. She was a founding member of Robert Battle’s Battleworks Dance Company from 2001–06, where she also served as company manager. In addition, Ms. Clark was a member of Mark Morris Dance Group and Lar Lubovitch Dance Company, as well as a dancer at the Metropolitan Opera, where she worked with Crystal Pite, among others. She has assisted Mr. Battle in the creations of Juba, Love Stories, and Awakening, here at Ailey, and currently stages his work nationwide. As a teacher, Ms. Clark has been on faculty at the American Dance Festival, taught numerous master classes throughout the world, and worked closely alongside Carolyn Adams. She is a 2008 Princess Grace Award winner. Ms. Clark joined the Company in 2013. SARAH DALEY (South Elgin, IL) began her training at the Faubourg School of Ballet in Illinois under the direction of Watmora Casey and Tatyana Mazur. She is a 2009 graduate of the Ailey/Fordham BFA Program in Dance. Ms. Daley trained at institutions such as the Kirov Academy, National Ballet School of Canada, The San Francisco Conservatory of Dance, and intensives at Ballet Camp Illinois and Ballet Adriatico in Italy. She is a recipient of a Youth America Grand Prix Award and an ARTS Foundation Award. She was a member of Ailey II and joined the Company in 2011. GHRAI DeVORE (Washington, D.C.) began her formal dance training at the Chicago Multicultural Dance Center and was a scholarship student at The Ailey School. She has completed summer programs at the Kirov Academy, Ballet Chicago, Deeply Rooted Dance Theater, American Ballet Theatre, and Alonzo King


BIOS LINES Ballet. Ms. DeVore was a member of Deeply Rooted Dance Theater, Deeply Rooted Dance Theater 2, Hubbard Street 2, Dance Works Chicago, and Ailey II. She is a recipient of the Danish Queen Ingrid Scholarship of Honor and the Dizzy Feet Foundation Scholarship, and she was a 2010 nominee for the first annual Clive Barnes Award. Ms. DeVore joined the Company in 2010. SAMANTHA FIGGINS (Washington, D.C.) began dancing at Duke Ellington School of the Arts under the tutelage of Charles Auggins and Sandra Fortune-Greene and attended summer intensives at Dance Theatre of Harlem under the direction of Arthur Mitchell. She continued her education at SUNY Purchase Conservatory of Dance. There she performed works by George Balanchine, Bill T. Jones, Paul Taylor, and Twyla Tharp. Upon graduating cum laude, Ms. Figgins became a member of Complexions Contemporary Ballet, performing works by Dwight Rhoden, Jae Man Joo, and Camille A. Brown. She also performed at the 2014 DanceOpen Festival in St. Petersburg, Russia. Ms. Figgins was featured both on the cover of Dance Spirit magazine and in Pointe magazine’s “10 Careers to Watch” in 2013. She has worked with Beyoncé and can be seen in the film Enemy Within alongside Tiler Peck and Matthew Rushing. Ms. Figgins joined the Company in 2014. VERNARD J. GILMORE (Chicago, IL) began dancing at Curie Performing and Creative Arts High School in Chicago and later studied at the Joseph Holmes Chicago Dance Theatre with Harriet Ross, Marquita Levy, and Emily Stein. He attended Barat College as a dance scholarship recipient and received first place in the all-city NAACP ACT-SO Competition in Dance in 1993. He studied as a scholarship student at The Ailey School and was a member of Ailey II. In 2010, he performed at the White House Dance Series. Mr. Gilmore is an active choreographer for the Ailey Dancers Resource Fund and has choreographed for Fire Island Dance Festival 2008 and Jazz Foundation of America Gala 2010; he also produced the Dance of Light Project in January 2010. Mr. Gilmore is a certified Zena Rommett Floor-Barre instructor. He continues to teach workshops and master classes around the world. Mr. Gilmore joined the Company in 1997. JACQUELINE GREEN (Baltimore, MD) began her dance training at the Baltimore School

for the Arts under the direction of Norma Pera, Deborah Robinson, and Anton Wilson. She is a graduate of the Ailey/Fordham BFA Program in Dance. Ms. Green has attended summer programs at Pennsylvania Regional Ballet, Chautauqua Institution, Earl Mosley’s Institute of the Arts, and Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival. She has performed works by a variety of choreographers, including Elisa Monte, Helen Pickett, Francesca Harper, Aszure Barton, Earl Mosley, and Michael Vernon. Ms. Green is the recipient of a 2014 Dance Fellowship from the Princess Grace Foundation-USA and a 2015 Clive Barnes Award nominee. She is also the recipient of the 2009 Martha Hill Fund’s Young Professional Award and the 2010 Dizzy Feet Foundation Scholarship. She was a member of Ailey II and joined the Company in 2011. DANIEL HARDER (Bowie, MD) began dancing at Suitland High School’s Center for the Visual and Performing Arts in Maryland. He is a graduate of the Ailey/Fordham BFA Program in Dance, where he was awarded the Jerome Robbins/Layton Foundation Scholarship. He participated in the Holland Dance Festival with The Ailey School and as a member of the Francesca Harper Project. After dancing in the European tour of West Side Story, Mr. Harder became a member of Ailey II. He joined the Company in 2010.

JACQUELIN HARRIS (Charlotte, NC) began her dance training at Dance Productions Studios under the direction of Lori Long. In 2010, as a finalist for the National Foundation for the Advancement of the Arts, Ms. Harris received a silver ARTS award and was a semifinalist for the Presidential Scholar in the Arts. She attended summer programs at Jacob’s Pillow and Joffrey Ballet School, and has performed works by Kate Skarpetowska, Daniel Catanach, Troy Powell, and Erika Pujic. She graduated with honors from the Ailey/Fordham BFA Program in Dance. She was a member of Ailey II and joined the Company in 2014. COLLIN HEYWARD (Newport News, VA) began his training at The Academy of Dance and Gymnastics in Newport News under the direction of Linda Haas, and later at Denise Wall’s Dance Energy in Virginia Beach. Mr. Heyward also attended several dance intensives, including Earl Mosley’s Institute of the Arts, and has performed works by Sidra Bell, Francisco Martinez, Elisa Monte, and Scott Rink. He has made guest appearances ATLANTA’S PERFORMING ARTS PUBLICATION 39


BIOS with Company Stefanie Batten Bland and in the revival of E. Clement Bethel’s The Legend of Sammie Swain in Nassau, Bahamas. Mr. Heyward is also a featured dancer in the Fox Searchlight film Black Nativity. He graduated with honors from the Ailey/Fordham BFA Program in Dance and was a member of Ailey II. Mr. Heyward joined the Company in 2014. DEMETIA HOPKINS-GREENE (Orange, VA) began her dance training at the Orange School of Performing Arts under the direction of her uncle, Ricardo Porter, and Heather Powell. She has studied at the National Youth Ballet of Virginia; Virginia School of the Arts; the Summer Dance International Course in Burgos, Spain; The Rock School; and Dance Theatre of Harlem School. Ms. HopkinsGreene graduated with honors from the Ailey/ Fordham BFA Program in Dance in 2009 and was a recipient of a Leonore Annenberg Fellowship in the Arts in 2011. Ms. HopkinsGreene was a member of Ailey II and joined the Company in 2010. MICHAEL JACKSON, JR. (New Orleans, LA) began his dance training at age 14 at the Duke Ellington School of the Arts in Washington, D.C., under the direction of Charles Augins. He became a member of Dance Theatre of Harlem Dancing through Barriers Ensemble in 2005. In 2006, he joined Dallas Black Dance Theatre, and in 2008 joined Philadanco, where he also worked as artistic director of D3. Mr. Jackson joined the Company in 2011 and rejoined in 2015. MEGAN JAKEL (Waterford, MI) trained in ballet and jazz in her hometown. As a senior in high school, she spent a year dancing with the City Ballet of San Diego. In 2005, Ms. Jakel was an apprentice and rehearsal director for the Francesca Harper Project. She graduated with honors in May 2007 from the Ailey/ Fordham BFA Program in Dance. Ms. Jakel has performed works by choreographers David Parsons, Debbie Allen, Thaddeus Davis, Hans van Manen, and Dwight Rhoden. She was a member of Ailey II and joined the Company in 2009. YANNICK LEBRUN (Cayenne, French Guiana) began training in his native country at the Adaclam School under the guidance of Jeanine Verin. After graduating high school in 2004, he moved to New York City to study at The Ailey School as a scholarship 40 ENCOREATLANTA.COM

student. Mr. Lebrun has performed works by choreographers Troy Powell, Debbie Allen, Scott Rink, Thaddeus Davis, Nilas Martins, Dwight Rhoden, and Francesca Harper. He was named one of Dance Magazine’s “25 to Watch” in 2011, and, in 2013, FranceAmérique magazine highlighted him as one of the 50 most talented French in the United States. Mr. Lebrun was a member of Ailey II and joined the Company in 2008. RENALDO MAURICE (Gary, IN) began his dance training with Tony Simpson and is a graduate of Talent Unlimited High School. He attended the Emerson School for Visual and Performing Arts and studied with Larry Brewer and Michael Davis. Mr. Maurice was a scholarship student at The Ailey School, has trained on scholarship at Ballet Chicago and Deeply Rooted Dance Theater, and had an internship at the Martha Graham School of Contemporary Dance. In 2008, he received second place in modern dance from the National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts and received the Dizzy Feet Foundation Scholarship in 2009. In February 2012, Mr. Maurice was honored with the key to the city of Gary, Indiana, his hometown. He was a member of Ailey II and joined the Company in 2011. MICHAEL FRANCIS McBRIDE (Johnson City, NY) began his training at the Danek School of Performing Arts and later trained at Amber Perkins School of the Arts in Norwich, New York. Mr. McBride attended Earl Mosley’s Institute of the Arts for two consecutive summers and was also assistant to Mr. Mosley when he set the piece Saddle UP! on the Company in 2007. In January 2012, Mr. McBride performed and taught as a guest artist with the JUNTOS Collective in Guatemala. Mr. McBride graduated magna cum laude from the Ailey/Fordham BFA Program in Dance in 2010 after he joined the Company in 2009. RACHAEL McLAREN (Manitoba, Canada) began her formal dance training at the Royal Winnipeg Ballet School. After graduating from high school, she joined the Toronto cast of Mamma Mia! Ms. McLaren moved to New York City to study at The Ailey School as a scholarship student and later joined Ailey II. She has performed works by Karole Armitage, Dwight Rhoden, Francesca Harper, and Nilas Martins. Ms. McLaren joined the Company in 2008.


BIOS CHALVAR MONTEIRO (Montclair, NJ) began his formal dance training at Sharron Miller’s Academy for the Performing Arts and went on to study at The Ailey School. He received his BFA in dance from SUNY Purchase, where he performed works by Merce Cunningham, Helen Pickett, Doug Varone, Paul Taylor, Kevin Wynn, and Dianne McIntyre. Since graduating, Mr. Monteiro has worked with Sidra Bell Dance New York, Elisa Monte Dance, Keigwin + Company, and, most recently, Abraham.In.Motion. He has assisted Kyle Abraham in setting and creating work for Barnard College, Princeton University, Emory University, Tisch School of the Arts at NYU, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, and Wendy Whelan's Restless Creature. Mr. Monteiro was a member of Ailey II and joined the Company in 2015. AKUA NONI PARKER (Kinston, NC) began dancing at the age of three. She later moved to Wilmington, Delaware, and continued her training at the Academy of the Dance until she graduated high school. In 1999, she joined Dance Theatre of Harlem, where she danced leading roles in Agon, Giselle, and The Four Temperaments. In 2005, she joined Cincinnati Ballet, where she danced soloist roles in Swan Lake and Lambarena. In 2006, Ms. Parker joined Ballet San Jose, where she was the first African-American woman to dance the Sugar Plum Fairy in The Nutcracker. She teaches master classes throughout the country, has coached young dancers for YAGP, and worked on the film Enemy Within as a wardrobe consultant and rehearsal director. Since joining the Company, she has had the pleasure of performing at the Gala of International Dance Stars. She joined the Company in 2008. DANICA PAULOS (Huntington Beach, CA) began her dance training at Orange County Dance Center in southern California and also studied in Los Angeles with Yuri Grigoriev. She graduated from the Professional Performing Arts School in New York and trained at The Ailey School as a scholarship student. Ms. Paulos attended summer intensives at Kirov Academy of Ballet, The Juilliard School, Complexions Contemporary Ballet, and Jacob’s Pillow. She has performed works by Robert Battle, Judith Jamison, Matthew Rushing, Hope Boykin, Erika Pujic, Christian von Howard, Earl Mosley, and Kate Skarpetowska. Ms. Paulos received a Level 1 Award as a YoungArts finalist by the National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts. In 2015, she was featured on the

cover of Dance Magazine as one of “25 to Watch.” Ms. Paulos was a member of Ailey II and joined the Company in 2014. BELEN PEREYRA (Lawrence, MA) began her formal dance training at the Boston Arts Academy, where she graduated as valedictorian. She was also a member of Origination Cultural Arts Center in Boston. Upon moving to New York City, Ms. Pereyra was closely mentored by Earl Mosley and danced with Camille A. Brown & Dancers for three years, during which time she performed at The Joyce Theater, Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival, and Dancers Responding to AIDS’ annual events Dance from the Heart and The Fire Island Dance Festival. Ms. Pereyra was an apprentice for Ronald K. Brown/Evidence, A Dance Company, and has performed with Lula Washington Dance Theater, Nathan Trice, and Roger C. Jeffrey. She assisted Matthew Rushing with his ballet Uptown for the Ailey company in 2009. Ms. Pereyra joined the Company in 2011. JAMAR ROBERTS (Miami, FL) graduated from the New World School of the Arts. He trained at the Dance Empire of Miami and as a scholarship student at The Ailey School. Mr. Roberts was a member of Ailey II and Complexions. He first joined the Company in 2002. SAMUEL LEE ROBERTS (Quakertown, PA) began his dance training under the direction of Kathleen Johnston and attended The Juilliard School. He performed in the first international show of Radio City Christmas Spectacular in Mexico City and danced with the New York cast from 1999–2004. Mr. Roberts performed during the award ceremony at the 2002 Salt Lake City Winter Olympics, worked with Corbin Dances and Keigwin + Company, and was a founding member of Battleworks Dance Company. In May 2006, Mr. Roberts was named Dance Magazine’s “On the Rise” dancer. He performed several roles in Julie Taymor’s film Across the Universe and the original opera Grendel. Mr. Roberts joined the Company in 2009. KANJI SEGAWA (Kanagawa, Japan) began his modern dance training with his mother, Erika Akoh, and studied ballet with Kan Horiuchi and Ju Horiuchi in Tokyo, Japan. In 1997, Mr. Segawa came to the U.S. under the Japanese Government Artist Fellowship to train at The Ailey School. He was a member of Ailey II ATLANTA’S PERFORMING ARTS PUBLICATION 41


BIOS from 2000-02 and Robert Battle’s Battleworks Dance Company from 2002-10. Mr. Segawa worked extensively with choreographer Mark Morris from 2004-11, repeatedly appearing in various productions with Mark Morris Dance Group, including as a principal dancer in John Adams’ Nixon in China at The Metropolitan Opera. He has also assisted and worked closely with choreographer Jessica Lang since 1999. Mr. Segawa joined the Company in 2011. GLENN ALLEN SIMS (Long Branch, NJ) began his classical dance training at the Academy of Dance Arts in Red Bank, New Jersey. He attended The Juilliard School under the artistic guidance of Benjamin Harkarvy. In 2004, Mr. Sims was the youngest person to be inducted into the Long Branch High School’s Distinguished Alumni Hall of Fame. He has been seen in several network television programs, including BET Honors, Dancing with the Stars, The Today Show, and So You Think You Can Dance. In 2010, Mr. Sims taught as a master teacher in Ravenna, Italy, for Dance Up Ravenna, sponsored by the International Dance Association, and performed in the White House Dance Series. He has performed for the king of Morocco and is a certified Zena Rommett Floor-Barre instructor. Mr. Sims was featured on the cover of and wrote a featured guest blog for Dance Magazine. Recently, he became a certified pilates mat trainer. Mr. Sims joined the Company in 1997. LINDA CELESTE SIMS (Bronx, NY) began her dance training at Ballet Hispanico School of Dance and is a graduate of LaGuardia High School of the Performing Arts. In addition to a National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts Award, Mrs. Sims won Outstanding Performance at the 2014 New York Dance and Performance Awards (“The Bessies”). Featured on the cover of Dance Magazine, and in annual “Best of ” lists, she has performed as a guest star on So You Think You Can Dance, Dancing with the Stars, and The Today Show. Mrs. Sims has also made guest appearances at the White House Dance Series, Youth America Grand Prix, Vail International Dance Festival, and galas in Budapest and Vienna. She teaches classes around the world and is a certified Floor-Barre instructor. Mrs. Sims joined the Company in 1996. JERMAINE TERRY (Washington, D.C.) began his dance training in Kissimmee at James Dance Center. He graduated cum laude 42 ENCOREATLANTA.COM

with a BFA in dance performance from the University of South Florida, where he received scholarships for excellence in performance and choreography. Mr. Terry was a scholarship student at The Ailey School and a member of Ailey II, and he has performed with Buglisi Dance Theatre, Arch Dance, Dance Iquail, and Philadanco. In 2013, he received the Distinguished Alumnus Award from USF for outstanding service to the arts. Mr. Terry joined the Company in 2010. FANA TESFAGIORGIS (Madison, WI) is a graduate of the Ailey/Fordham BFA Program in Dance, with a minor in journalism. She began training at Ballet Madison, under the direction of Charmaine Ristow, and Interlochen Arts Academy High School. Ms. Tesfagiorgis also trained at summer and winter intensives at Earl Mosley’s Institute of the Arts, Alonzo King LINES Ballet, and Lar Lubovitch Dance Company. Professionally she has danced with Ailey II, Brian Harlan Brooks’ Continuum, Alenka Cizmesja’s Art DeConstructed, Dance Iquail, Freddie Moore’s Footprints, and Samuel Pott’s Nimbus Dance Works. Ms. Tesfagiorgis has been a rehearsal assistant for Hope Boykin, Earl Mosley, Pedro Ruiz, Matthew Rushing, and Sylvia Waters. She joined the Company in 2013.

MARCUS JARRELL WILLIS (Houston, TX) began his formal training at the Johnston Performing Arts Middle School, the High School for the Performing and Visual Arts, and Discovery Dance Group in Houston, Texas. At age 16 he moved to New York City and studied at The Ailey School as a scholarship student. Mr. Willis is a recipient of a Level 1 ARTS Award given by the National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts and has received scholarships to many schools, including The Juilliard School. He was a member of Ailey II and also worked with Pascal Rioult Dance Theater, Dominic Walsh Dance Theater, and Tania Pérez-Salas Compañía de Danza. Mr. Willis joined the Company in 2008.

The Ailey dancers are supported, in part, by The Judith McDonough Kaminski Dancer Endowment Fund.


TRUSTEES/STAFF ALVIN AILEY DANCE FOUNDATION BOARD OF TRUSTEES Daria L. Wallach, Chairman Debra L. Lee, President Gina F. Adams, Simin N. Allison, Arthur J. Mirante II, John H. Schaefer, Vice Chairmen Frank R. Ahimaz, Eleanor S. Applewhaite, Robert Battle, Nicole A. Bernard, Kathryn C. Chenault, Linda Houston, Jenny Ireland, Anthony S. Kendall, Robert Kissane, Ricki Lander, Michelle Y. Lee, Natasha Leibel Levine, M.D., Anthony A. Lewis, Leslie L. Maheras, Doris Meister, Stephen J. Meringoff, Marylin L. Prince, Richard Speciale, Marc S. Strachan, Roger C. Williams, Jr. Philip Laskawy, Harold Levine, Stanley Plesent, Esq., Joan H. Weill, Chairmen Emeriti Henry McGee, President Emeritus Anthony M. Carvette, Lemar Swinney, Honorary Trustees

ALVIN AILEY DANCE FOUNDATION Recipient of the National Medal of Arts Bennett Rink – Executive Director Pamela Robinson – Chief Financial Officer Thomas Cott – Senior Director of Marketing and Creative Content Kimberly Watson – Senior Director of Development

ALVIN AILEY AMERICAN DANCE THEATER

Matthew Rushing, Rehearsal Director Linda Celeste Sims, Assistant to the Rehearsal Director Dacquiri T’Shaun Smittick, Director of Production Isabelle Quattlebaum, Director of Company Business Affairs Gregory Stuart, Company Manager Joseph Anthony Gaito, Technical Director Kristin Colvin Young, Production Stage Manager Al Crawford, Lighting Director Jon Taylor, Wardrobe Supervisor Mike Diaz, Master Carpenter

David Kerr, Master Electrician Nicholas Correa, Sound Engineer Chris Theodore, Property Master Courtney Sauls, Assistant Company Manager Nicole A. Walters, Assistant Stage Manager Roya Abab, Associate Lighting Director Jesse Dunham, Wardrobe Assistant Katie Chihaby, Wardrobe Assistant DJ Adderley, Flyman Zane Beatty, Assistant Electrician Christina Collura, Performance and Production Project Manager David Claps, Production Associate Donald J. Rose, M.D., Director of the Harkness Center for Dance Injuries, Hospital for Joint Disease Shaw Bronner, Director of Physical Therapy Sheyi Ojofeitimi, Physical Therapist Sara Aingorn, Physical Therapist

TOURING CONTACTS North American Agent OPUS 3 ARTISTS opus3artists.com International Agent ASKONAS HOLT LTD. askonasholt.co.uk PRODUCTION CREDITS Lighting system provided by 4Wall Entertainment. Touring sound system provided by Gibson Entertainment Services. Domestic trucking services provided by Stage Call Corporation. Alvin Ailey is a proud member of Dance/USA, the national service organization for professional dance. AILEY TOUR MERCHANDISE Ailey Tour Merchandise and AileyShop.com are managed by The Araca Group www.AileyShop.com Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater The Joan Weill Center for Dance 405 West 55th Street New York, NY 10019-4402 Phone: (212) 405-9000 AlvinAiley.org

facebook.com/AlvinAileyAmericanDanceTheater Instagram: @alvinailey

ATLANTA’S PERFORMING ARTS PUBLICATION 43


FOR YOUR INFORMATION THE THEATRE A fully restored 1929 “Movie Palace,” the Fox Theatre, with 4,665 seats, is a multiple-purpose facility, housing Broadway shows, ballet, symphonies, concerts, movies, and private corporate events. PRIVATE ROOMS The Fox Theatre has three private rental spaces, with accommodations for 25 to 1,200 guests. Our Egyptian Ballroom and Grand Salon are beautifully decorated and can be set up to your specifications. The Landmarks Lounge is adjacent to the lobby and is perfect for a small pre-show and intermission event. To book your “Fabulous Fox” evening, please call 404.881.2100 or visit us at www.foxtheatre.org. TICKET OFFICE The Fox Theatre Ticket Office is located in the arcade entrance to the theatre. The Ticket Office is open for walk up ticket sales Monday-Friday, 10:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m., and Saturday,10:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m. The Fox Theatre Ticket Office is not open on Sundays unless there is a performance. On event days, the Ticket Office opens two hours prior to show time. Doors to the Fox open one hour prior to show time. Tickets for all performances at the Fox may be purchased online at www.FoxTheatre.org, all Ticket Alternative outlets and all Atlanta-area Whole Foods Markets, by calling 855-285-8499, or by visiting the Fox Theatre Ticket Office in person during regular Box Office hours. GROUP SALES The Fox Theatre Group Sales Department offers discounts to Groups for most Broadway shows. The Group Sales office is open Monday-Friday from 9am to 5pm. Call 404 881-2000 or email foxgroup@foxtheatre.org. CONCESSIONS Concession stands are located in the Spanish Room, main lobby, and on the mezzanine lobby level. RESTROOMS Restrooms are located off the Main Lobby (downstairs), Mezzanine Lobby levels, and the Gallery level. Accessible restroom facilities are located in the Spanish Room and Accessible/Family restrooms are located through the Office door in the main lobby. GIFT SHOP The Fox Theatre operates a gift shop selling history books, T-shirts, sweatshirts, and an assortment of other theatre-related merchandise. The gift shop is located in the Spanish Room. TOURS Fox Theatre Tours are conducted Mondays and Thursdays at 10 AM, 11 AM, noon and 1 PM. Saturday tours are offered at 10 AM and 11 AM. Fox Theatre Tours are guided by Fox employees well-versed in the Fox’s history, current events, awards, and upcoming shows.   Tickets for Fox Theatre Tours are available at the Fox Theatre Ticket Office or online at www.foxtheatre.org. Special Tours can range from backstage to architectural to a school or college group. Please contact the Fox Theatre by calling 404.881.2100 to schedule your group tour. LOST AND FOUND Lost and found items are turned in to the Event Staff’s office. To check on lost items, please call 404-881-2119. Lost and found items will be retained for 30 days.

EMERGENCY INFORMATION In the event of an emergency, and for your safety, please follow the directions provided by the Fox Theatre staff. SMOKING In accordance with the Fulton County Clean Air Ordinance, the Fox Theatre is a smoke-free facility. Smoking is only permitted in designated areas. ABOUT ACCESSIBILITY The Fox Theatre strives to make events accessible to all guests. If you require assistance during your visit to the Fox Theatre please seek out or ask for one of our Accessible Ambassadors. These staff members are attired in the traditional Fox Theatre uniform however also have gold braid and white gloves to make them easier to see. The Fox Theatre offers the use of wheelchairs, listening devices and booster seats at no additional charge. Our Ambassadors will assist you to special restroom accommodations. Note: Steep Steps lead to all seats on the upper levels. For assistance needed or additional information on programs, please contact the Event Staff’s office at: 404-881-2119. TICKETS To purchase accessible seating at the Fox Theatre please call: 404-881-2016 Monday through Friday, 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM or on Saturday, 10:00 AM-3:00 PM. A Fox Theatre Ticket Office Associate will be happy to help you. Ticket buyers may also visit the ticketing site at www.foxtheatre.org. PROGRAMS PROVIDED Opened Captioning Performance Sponsored in partnership through TDF (Theatre Development Fund).

ELEVATORS Elevators are located at the north end of each lobby. The elevators are available during all performances and make it possible to access each lobby without the use of stairs. Patrons should be aware that access to upper seating areas do involve stairs. PARKING Parking is available within a four-block radius in all directions of the Fox Theatre. Advanced reserved parking is available for sale at the Fox Ticket Office or by calling 855-285-8499. The Fox Theatre assumes no responsibility for vehicles parked in any of the privately owned parking lots operating in the Fox Theatre district. PERFORMANCE NOTES All patrons, regardless of age, must have a ticket in order to be admitted to the theatre. Not all events are suitable for children. Infants will not be admitted to adult programs/performances. Parents will be asked to remove children who create a disturbance.   Latecomers will be seated at the discretion of the management, in conjunction with the wishes of the producers.   Please turn off all pagers and cell phones prior to the beginning of each performance.   Camera and recording devices are strictly prohibited.   Backstage employees are represented by the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (I.A.T.S.E.)


ETIQUETTE 1. Please arrive early. Latecomers may not be seated until intermission. 2. Take care of personal needs (drinks of water or restroom) before the performance begins. 3. Please silence or turn off all electronic devices, including cell phones, beepers, and watch alarms. We encourage you to share your experience at the Fox via social media, but please refrain from doing so or texting during performances; the glow from your device is distracting. 4. Most shows do not allow photography of any kind. Flash photography inside the theatre is never allowed as it is a distraction to those around you and a danger to the performers. 5. The overture is part of the performance. Please cease talking at this point. 6. Dear Lovebirds, when you lean your heads together, you block the view of the people behind you. Please consider the people that will be seated behind you when choosing whether or not to wear a hat or what hair style you choose. 7. Please refrain from talking, humming, or singing along with the show, except when encouraged to do so by the artist or show. 8. Please wait for an appropriate moment to dig something out of your pocket or bag. 9. Go easy with the perfume and cologne, many people are highly allergic. 10. If you need assistance during the show, please go to your nearest volunteer usher. If additional assistance is needed the usher will get the appropriate person to further help you. 11. Yes, the parking lot gets busy and public transportation is tricky, but leaving while the show is in progress or before the actors have taken their final bows is discourteous. Wait until it is over and then exit with the rest of the audience.

THE FOX THEATRE 660 Peachtree Street, N.E. Atlanta, Georgia 30308 404.881.2100 • www.foxtheatre.org

STAFF Allan C. Vella. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . President & C.E.O. Adina Alford Erwin. . . . Vice President & General Manager Jeff Quesenberry. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Vice President & C.F.O. Jamie Vosmeier. . . . . Senior Director, Sales and Marketing Elton Howze. . . . . . . . . . . . . Director of Information Systems Carmie McDonald . . . . . . . . Director, Fox Theatre Institute Joe Quillian. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Director of Special Events Shelly Kleppsattel. . . . . . . . . . Booking & Contract Manager Rick Robbins. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Controller Rachel Bomeli. . . . . . . . . Manager Ticket Sales and Service Jon Cooper . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Guest Services Manager Shelby Moody . . . . . . . . . . Corporate Group Sales Manager Dan Goldberger. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . E-Commerce and Social Media Manager Laura Zimbrick . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Corporate Partnership Premium Seating Manager Amy Smith . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Production Manager Gary Hardaway. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Master Carpenter Larry Watson. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . House Flyman Scott Hardin. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Property Master Ray T. Haynie. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Master Electrician Cary Oldknow. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Assistant Electrician Rodney Amos. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Head Sound Engineer

BOARD OF DIRECTORS Edward L. White . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Chairman Keith O Cowan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Vice Chairman Clara Axam, Robyn Barkin, Beauchamp Carr, Renee Dye, Sheffield Hale, John Holder, Edward Hutchison, Walt Huntley, Craig Jones, Jay Myers, Glen Romm

EMERITUS MEMBERS John Busby, Jr., Anne Cox Chambers, Pat Connell, Rodney Cook, Ada Lee Correll, Richard Courts, Jere Drummond, Richard Flinn, Julia Grumbles, Steve Koonin, Charles Lawson, Robert Minnear, Starr Moore, Joseph Myers, Edward Negri, Edgar Neiss, Joe Patten, Carl Patton, Sylvia Russell, Nancy Simms, Preston Stevens, Alan Thomas, Clyde Tuggle, Carolyn Wills

Official Beverage of the Fox

Official Airline of the Fox

Official Vehicle of the Fox

Official Hotel and Restaurant of the Fox

Official Energy Partner of the Fox

Official Beer of the Fox

Official Bank of the Fox

Official Healthcare Partner of the Fox

ATLANTA’S PERFORMING ARTS PUBLICATION 45


Six City in the

ll work and no play makes for a dull love life. Whether you’re in the mood for a fancy night out, a great burger or an-out-the way vibe, we have a suggestion or two for you. They come courtesy of some of Atlanta’s more successful taste-makers, people who work hard to keep their small businesses afloat but know the importance of an occasional romantic meal. 1. Burger time When Bill Kaelin, an event marketing specialist and Georgia Voice opinion columnist, wants to 46 ENCOREATLANTA.COM

unwind over food and drinks with his partner, Shawn, they let nature take its course. “We love walking from our home near Piedmont Park to the Park Tavern to watch the sun set over the skyline,” Kaelin says. “It’s epic.” They also try to hit one or two new hot spots each month. A recent late-night favorite: Little Trouble in West Midtown (404.500.4737, facebook.com/littletroubleatl). It’s a place for hipsters who crave craft cocktails and light bites ($5-$15) of Asian fusion cuisine. “You can always enjoy great conversations and amazing new music there,” Kaelin says. Park Tavern, a pet-friendly cafe/ bar, has expansive views of Pied-

MAI BRI PHOTOGRAPHY

From intown to OTP, big budget or small, we have a date-night spot for you By A. Scott Walton


“We love our little getaways to the Iberian Pig (at left and below) after work,” entrepreneur Lisa Bailey Bobb says of the Decatur Square eatery. “There’s something soothing about the sharing menu. The atmosphere is cozy and the wine list is incredible.”

mont Park and is good for drinks, burgers, salads and appetizers at about $10 each. Park Tavern (500 10th St. N.E. 404.249.0001, parktavern.com).

IBERIAN PIG

2. Your share of tapas To ease the pangs of competing with the best little-dress boutiques in town, Squash Blossom owner Lisa Bailey Bobb strolls hand-inhand with husband Kamau to nearby Decatur Square for adventurous wine and tapas tastings. “We love our quick little getaways to the Iberian Pig after work,” Bobb says. “There’s something soothing about the sharing menu. The atmosphere is cozy and the wine list is incredible. It just makes you want to cuddle up with someone special.” Go for the towering front windows and low-hanging chandeliers plus al fresco dining on sidewalk tables. The emphasis is on Spanish cuisine, wines and cocktails. Small plates ($4-$15) are house specialties. The Iberian Pig (121 Sycamore St., Decatur, 404.371.8800, theiberianpigatl.com). 3. Mmm, steak Dan Mullis, who makes and markets his Southern Haberdasher brand of small-batch pepper sauces by night and does custom clothing consultations by day, dines out with his wife, Deb, regularly and close to home. The further away from the urban “see-and-be-seen” scene the better, Mullis says. “I prefer a quiet table for two. Tonight, for example, we’re going to Capers, right near our house in Kennesaw.”

Capers “elevates a meal to an event. When I suggest something Indian or Ethiopian, I notice that look of concern on my wife’s face at first. But I know she’s going to proclaim it one of her favorites by the night’s end.” Cobb County’s upper-crust folk huddle here for premium steak, pasta, seafood and specialty desserts ($12-$25). The space is as broad, bright and casual as white-linen service gets. Capers on Main Street (1635 Old 41 Hwy. N.W., Kennesaw, 678.594.7735, capersonmain.com). 4. It’s French to you Lisa Rene LeClair, the Sassy PieHole blogger and co-author of the postpartum book It’s Actually 10 Months, coaxes husband Ricky out of their West Midtown home offices to the low-key northern edge of Buckhead for dinner on the porch at Anis. “It’s perfect for anyone who enjoys an exquisite meal, with exceptional wine, but doesn’t have the time or budget to fly off to Europe” LeClair says. “My friends are incredible and fun to be around, but whenever we have an opportunity to go out by ourselves, my first choice is the same: an intimate dinner as far away from everyone as we can get.” Anis is set in an old cottage near pricey shopping and old-money Buckhead neighborhoods. The food and wine are a nod to southern France. Plates ($9-$22) range from mussels and escargot to veal chops and duck confit. Anis Cafe & Bistro (2974 Grandview Ave., Atlanta, 404.233.9889, anisbistro.com).

“When I suggest something Indian or Ethiopian, I notice that look on my wife’s face. But I know she’s going to proclaim it one of her favorites by night’s end.” DAN MULLIS

ATLANTA’S PERFORMING ARTS PUBLICATION 47


6. Primo pasta To relieve the stress of curating her new lifestyle website, Patch of Earth, Travis Neighbor Ward

48 ENCOREATLANTA.COM

treats husband Brian to sentimental dinners at the Inman Park bistro where they first dated some 15 years ago. “I lived in Florence, Italy, for five years when I was in my 20s,” Ward says, “and Sotto Sotto reminds me of that time. We love it so much that we had our big family dinner there after our wedding rehearsal. “The dining room glows at night,” she says. “I really love hearing the subtle details of the meal playing out … the silverware clinking against the plates and the murmured voices. It’s cozy, but you feel like you’re part of a collective experience.” This indoor/outdoor venue crackles at night with conversation and the busy flow of traffic from one trendy live-work-play enclave to another on the edge of downtown. Good for pasta dishes ($17-$19) and herb-infused filets of beef, fish and chicken ($19-$38). Sotto Sotto (313 North Highland Ave. N.E., 404.523.6678, urestaurants.com).

ANGIE MOSIER, IBRERIAN PIG, SOTTO SOTTO BILL KAELIN

CLOCKWISE, FROM TOP LEFT: The sashimi at Umi on Peachtree Road in Buckhead; Cocktails are as important as the food at Decatur’s Iberian Pig; Pasta rules many a meal at Inman Park’s Sotto Sotto; Marketing specialist and Georgia Voice columnist Bill Kaelin (right) and his partner, Shawn, have their favorites, but they also try to hit one or two new spots every month; Deb and Dan Mullis prefer quiet tables for two as far away from the urban see-and-be-seen scene as possible.

5. Cocktails, sushi, sushi, cocktails Farshad Arshid — owner of the upscale sportswear emporium Ponce Denim at Midtown’s Ponce City Market — embraces schmoozing as an occupational necessity. “Being seen out isn’t so bad every once in a while,” he says. Especially when he and his bride, Sandy, enjoy their date nights. He suggests Umi for dinner, with drinks at Himitsu next door beforehand. “A mix of French and Japanese delicacies,” he says, “is the perfect choice to set the mood.” The elite meet here to sip sake and sample new twists on sushi. The menu doesn’t bother to list prices. Try the Monkfish liver pate, seaweed salad and kobe beef rolls in a room adorned floor to ceiling with contrasting shades of polished wood. Himitsu is an exclusive cocktail lounge that requires reservations, a key code for entry and an appetite for caviar. Both are co-owned by Arshid’s brother, the maverick music and fashion impresario, Farshid. Umi (3050 Peachtree Road N.W., 404.841.0040, umiatlanta. com).


FRIENDS OF THE FOX Members of the Fox Theatre’s Friends of the Fox program help support the Fox Theatre Institute, the theater’s community engagement arm. The Fox Theatre’s legend lives on through their generosity, supporting the theater, the city of Atlanta and communities across Georgia.

The Fox Theatre would like to thank the following Friends of the Fox who have given at the Legend ($10,000), Marquee ($5,000), Encore ($2,500) and Entourage ($1,000) levels: Legend

Thomas Edwards Affairs to Remember Catering Georgia Natural Gas Sean Oh The Coca-Cola Company

Encore

Active Production and Design, Inc. Alston & Bird Cindy Askounis Diana Blank Douglas Borenstein Kyle Cadman Colgate Crib Mattress Marquee Concierge Services Atlanta Beverage of Atlanta Company Ira & Talmer Curry, Jr. Bill Hughey Drew Eckl & Farnham Chris Hurst Janice & Gary Sloan Encore Magazine

@DaviosAtlanta

Kevin Foley Roger Gelder George Kuhn Lanier Parking Holdings National Trust for Insurance Services Jerel and Janet Rush Jason Stutzman

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Atlanta Film Festival Cinema Concepts McKenney’s Inc. Carole & Anthony Musarra Paciolan

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ATLANTA’S PERFORMING ARTS PUBLICATION 49


What to see in

ATLANTA THEATER: Sondheim, Gunderson and …

Any theater city in America would be proud to boast this lineup of world premieres and prize-winning plays

I

f you like stories told with music and dance — and if you’re seeing Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater — you probably do, you may want to steep yourself in a stellar winter/spring season of Atlanta theater. Actor’s Express is in the middle of its run of Sweeney Todd, often considered Sondheim’s masterwork, and his Into the Woods opens in March at Aurora Theatre. The lineup at metro theaters through May features four world premieres, a Pulitzer Prize winner and a double dose of Decatur-born, San Francisco-based playwright Lauren Gunderson, in addition to the incomparable Mr. Sondheim. 50 ENCOREATLANTA.COM

We’ve put together a Top 9 list (Wit has come and gone at Aurora) for your consideration. Any theater city in America would be proud to boast such a lineup. These are the titles that made us sit up and take notice when announced. You’ll find them at Actor’s Express (2), the Alliance Theatre (2) and Aurora Theatre (2), with one each at 7 Stages, Synchronicity Theatre and Theatrical Oufit. Our list is in chronological order. What does yours look like? ‘SWEENEY TODD’ Through Feb. 22 | Actor’s Express. The West Midtown playhouse continues an excellent

BREEANNE CLOWDUS

By Kathy Janich


LEFT: Sweeney Todd at Actor’s Express: Meat pies, anyone? Deborah Bowman is the scheming Mrs. Lovett, Kevin Harry the barber bent on revenge in Stephen Sondheim’s musical masterwork. BELOW: The 11-member cast of Moxie, getting its world premiere at Theatrical Outfit, includes Maria RodriguezSage (from left), Bobby Labartino and Royce Mann.

season with this operatic musical. Kevin Harry (Murder Ballad, Aurora’s Les Miserables) picks up the vengeful razor of Todd; Deborah Bowman (Serenbe Playhouse’s A Streetcar Named Desire) is Mrs. Lovett, his co-conspirator, chief encourager and purveyor of meat pies. Artistic director Freddie Ashley directs this murderous tale, subtitled The Demon Barber of Fleet Street. It is bloody, and bloody good, but may not be everyone’s cup o’ tea. Details, tickets at actors-express.com.

BREEANNE CLOWDUS, ALLIANCE THEATRE

‘DISGRACED’ Through Feb. 14 | Alliance Theatre. A perfect play for our time. American playwright Ayad Akhtar’s explosive Pulitzer Prize-winning drama is the most-produced play in the nation this season, according to American Theatre magazine. In it, a Pakistani-American lawyer learns that his wife and friends are less tolerant than he thought when, at a seemingly innocent dinner party, they show their true selves and the evening dissolves into ugliness and hate. The New York Times called Disgraced “terrific” and “turbulent.” The 4-year-old piece seems prescient now. It’s soon to be an HBO film, but see it here first. Artistic director Susan V. Booth directs. Details, tickets at alliancetheatre.org. ‘MOXIE’ Through Feb. 28 | Theatrical Outfit. World premiere. This drama by Atlanta playwrights Brian Kurlander and Lane Carlock was developed during the inaugural year of the Alliance Theatre’s Reiser Atlanta Artists Lab, no small feat and no small achievement. In it, a Marine in Afghanistan connects with his son by crafting a handmade book. As the unfinished book of Moxie travels around the world, all who touch it are sparked to add their personal stories, contributing to its mystical force. Carolyn Cook (Blackberry Winter) and Bobby Labartino lead a stellar 11-member cast. Atlantan Elisa Carlson directs. Details, tickets at theatricaloutfit.org. ‘I AND YOU’ Through Feb. 21 | Aurora Theatre. This drama has proven to be the biggest hit yet for hometown girl Lauren Gunderson — the subject of

a recent Sunday New York Times profile. I and You won the 2014 Harold and Mimi Steinberg/ American Theatre Critics Association New Play Award and was a finalist for the 2014 Susan Smith Blackburn Prize, which honors women playwrights. The story: The night before a class assignment is due, Caroline and Anthony plumb the mysteries of a Whitman poem, unaware that a deeper mystery has brought them together. Expect an in-the-round set in the Harvel Lab. Aurora’s Jaclyn Hofmann directs. Details, tickets auroratheatre.com. ‘START DOWN’ Feb. 13-March 6 | Alliance Theatre. World premiere. This year’s winner of the Alliance/Kendeda National Graduate Playwriting Competition, an event that has introduced such playwrights as Tarell Alvin McCraney, Mike Lew, Kenneth Lin and Meg Miroshnik to Atlanta audiences. This piece, by New York University/Tisch School grad Eleanor Burgess, questions how we live, how we educate our children and our core values around technology. Jeremy B. Cohen, producing artistic director at the Playwrights’ Center in Minneapolis, directs. Also scheduled during “Kendeda Week”: four staged readings of plays by the runners-up. Details, tickets at alliancetheatre.org.


The quintet of squabblers in the Pulitzer-winning Disgraced at the Alliance, comprises (from left) Andrew Benator, Tinashe Kajese, Andrew Ramcharan Guilarte, Courtney Patterson and Ali Sohaili.

‘INTO THE WOODS’ March 10-April 17 | Aurora Theatre. Sondheim explores what happens after “happily ever after” in a fractured fairy tale that includes Cinderella, Jack and his beanstalk, Little Red Riding Hood, a couple of wolves, Rapunzel, a baker and his wife, and, of course, a witch. As you might imagine with Sondheim, these woods can get dark and twisty, so this award-winning musical (three 1988 Tonys, five Drama Desk awards) might not be appropriate or entertaining for all ages. Aurora’s Justin Anderson, one of our favorite directors, leads a 16-person cast. Details, tickets auroratheatre.com. ‘SERIAL BLACKFACE’ April 2-24 | Actor’s Express. World premiere. Young playwright Janine Nabers, a Juilliard grad, sets her story in 1979 Atlanta, during the Atlanta 52 ENCOREATLANTA.COM

Child Murders. The plot: A single mother copes with the disappearance of her son and deals with her troubled teenage daughter while pondering the possibility of a new love. Serial Blackface won the 2014 Yale Drama Series competition for full-length, unpublished works. “Janine Nabers is an extraordinary writer,” said playwright Marsha Norman (’night, Mother) when choosing her for the Yale prize. “The crackling dialogue and the unswerving honesty are beautiful to experience.” Ashley again directs. Details, tickets at actors-express.com. ‘BEYOND REASONABLE DOUBT: THE TROY DAVIS STORY’ April 8-May 1 | Synchronicity Theatre. A Synchronicity-commissioned world premiere. Atlanta playwright Lee Nowell has been working on this drama, described as a “balanced investigation of diverse beliefs about race, justice and the death penalty” for four years. It features a burned-out activist who finds purpose in efforts to exonerate Troy Anthony Davis, convicted and executed for the 1989 murder of an off-duty police officer in Savannah; her exasperated corporate lawyer husband; and an experienced civil rights activist who clashes with her grandson in light of a trauma in their past. The two acts alternate — with Act 1 coming first one night and Act 2 the next. Discussions follow each performance. Producing artistic director Rachel May directs. Details, tickets at synchrotheatre.com.

ALLIANCE THEATRE

‘THE REVOLUTIONISTS’ March 3-20 | 7 Stages. Plays about women. Plays about history. Lauren Gunderson excels at both. This piece transports us to 1793 Paris during the French Revolution’s Reign of Terror, where four powerful and provocative real women — including Olympe de Gouge, Charlotte Corday and Marie Antoinette — tackle gender inequality, racial tension and rising violent radicalism while facing the guillotine and writing a play of their own. Artistic director Heidi S. Howard directs. Details, tickets at 7stages.org.


Ins I st on makI ng a t o a s t. Enjo y l I f E t o t hE f ul l E s t thEr E arE no drE ss rE h Ea r s a l s . hav E y our st E ak and E at I t, t o o .

F ou r AtlAntA restAur Ants to s e rv e Y o u Alpharetta 路 Buckhead 路 Centennial olympic Park 路 Kennesaw For location details, visit RuthsChris.net


THE FOX THEATRE

DINING GUIDE

ARE YOU LOOKING FOR A GREAT NIGHT OUT? Try one of these

local restaurants before or after the show. For dinner-and-show packages, visit encoreatlanta.com/offers.

LIVINGSTON RESTAURANT AND BAR — It’s hard to beat the location (across from the Fox Theatre in the Georgian Terrace), and diners get complimentary parking, but the main attraction is the glamour of the main dining room, which has hosted the likes of Clark Gable, and the al fresco seating area. 659 Peachtree St. NE, 404.897.5000, livingstonatlanta.com. M LOBBY — The menu at this sophisticated American restaurant focuses on seasonal fare. In the lobby of TWELVE Atlantic Station. 361 17th St. N.E., 404.961.7370, lobbyattwelve.com, M THE MELTING POT — A premiere fondue restaurant where guests can enjoy a choice of fondue cooking styles and a variety of unique entrees, salads and indulgent desserts. Four Atlanta locations. 754 Peachtree St. N.E., 404.389.0099, meltingpot.com. M MURPHY’S — This restaurant has one of the city’s top brunch menus, but it’s known for great people-watching and contemporary comfort food. 997 Virginia Ave N.E., 404.872.0904, murphysvh.com, VH

ONE. MIDTOWN KITCHEN — Dine on fresh, seasonal American cuisine in a club-like atmosphere near Piedmont Park. 559 Dutch Valley Road, 404.892.4111, onemidtownkitchen.com. M PACES & VINE — The team behind intown Murphy’s expands to Vinings Jubilee with classic American comfort food crafted from locally sourced ingredients. Shared plates, fish, steaks. Wine-centric bar with craft cocktails. Weekday lunch, weekend brunch and dinner menus by celebrated Atlanta chef Ian Winslade (Murphy’s, W hotels, Bluepointe). 4300 Paces Ferry Rd, 404.205.8255, pacesandvine.com. V NEIGHBORHOODS CODES A Alpharetta

NA North Atlanta

B Buckhead

OFW Old Fourth Ward

D Downtown

P

Perimeter Mall area

DK Dekalb

SS

Sandy Springs

DW Dunwoody

V Vinings

IP

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Inman Park

M Midtown

W Westside

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A copy of this offer must be presented to your server in order to qualify for this offer. Limit one per person per table. Valid only at Buckhead and Midtown locations. Not valid at airport locations. Will not be accepted toward the purchase of merchandise or gift cards. Cannot be used as gratuity or redeemed for cash. Not valid in conjunction with any other promotion or discount. Not valid on alcohol where prohibited. Dine-in only. This offer is valid until 2/29/2016. July 31, 2013. Server: Comp MKTG$. AttnAttn Server: Comp to to ENCORE.

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DINING GUIDE AMERICAN

SOHO — American style bistro offers fish and seafood, beef, game and poultry, with gluten-free lunch and dinner options, plus their specially-priced Cobb Energy Centre theater menu will get you in and out with plenty of time to make the performance; just show your tickets to your server. Different weekly “wine and tapas” flights debut each Wednesday night. Vinings Jubilee, 4300 Paces Ferry Rd., 770.801.0069, sohoatlanta. com. V

Matt Ryan is an eat-out kind of guy. You’ll often find him at Davio’s (above).

TWO URBAN LICKS — “Fiery” American cooking meets live music at this hip hangout. 820 Ralph McGill Blvd., 404.522.4622, twourbanlicks.com. M

AMERICAN/STEAKHOUSE

RUTH’S CHRIS STEAKHOUSE — A favorite local steakhouse with multiple locations near shopping and entertainment hot spots. Sides are generous, and the quality of the steaks and seafood is excellent. Four locations: Alpharetta, 11655 Haynes Bridge Road, 770.777.1500; Buckhead, 3285 Peachtree Road N.E., 404.365.0660; Centennial Olympic Park, 267 Marietta St., 404.223.6500; Kennesaw, 620 Chastain Road N.W., 770.420.1985; ruthschris.com. A, B, D SOUTH CITY KITCHEN — With a stylish, Southern-contemporary menu, this DiRoNA restaurant helped make grits hip for the business crowd. Two locations: Midtown: 1144 Crescent Ave., 404.873.7358; Vinings: 1675 Cumberland Parkway, 770.435.0700, southcitykitchen.com. M, V 56 ENCOREATLANTA.COM

BREWPUB/ GOURMET PUB FARE

GORDON BIERSCH — Fresh-brewed beers are a tasty accent to this brewery-restaurant’s hearty pizzas, salads and sandwiches. For a small additional fee, pre-show diners can leave cars in the lot while they’re at the Fox Theatre. Two locations: Midtown: 848 Peachtree St. N.E., 404.870.0805; Buckhead: 3242 Peachtree Road N.E., 404.264.0253, gordonbiersch.com. M, B TAP — A gastropub offering easy-to-share pub fare and an extensive beer selection. The patio is a great place to chill after work. 1180 Peachtree St. N.E., 404.347.2220, tapat1180.com. M

CREOLE/CAJUN

COPELAND’S OF NEW ORLEANS — Bayou fare, plus steak, chicken, pasta and sandwiches. Fresh desserts and pastries from the Cheesecake Bakery. Live Jazz Sunday brunch buffet. A favorite gathering spot for Saints fans. Libations include the “Pontchartrain Beach” martini. Lunch, brunch, dinner. Take-out available. 3101 Cobb Parkway, 770.612.3311, copelandsatlanta.com. V

COURTESY OF SOHO; COURTESY OF THE ATLATNA FALCONS

SOHO’s tempura calamari with a ginger-soy glaze.


feed your mood

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Minimum purchase of $20 required. Present this ad to your server to receive this special offer. One per table. Does not include alcohol, tax or gratuity. Cannot be combined with any other offer. No cash value. Dine in only. Visit us at concentricsrestaurants.com

New upscale vegan restaurant in Midtown near the Fox Theatre! Let us FIX your meal on your next restaurant outing! Lunch • Brunch • Dinner • Carry-out

565-A Peachtree Street NE Atlanta, Georgia 30308 ph (404) 815-8787 PMS 7529 PMS 7533 PMS 484 www.herbanfix.com

Private event room available for birthdays, company events and holiday parties.

ATLANTA’S PERFORMING ARTS PUBLICATION 57


DINING GUIDE

PARISH — New Orleans-inspired dishes served with a modern twist and a fully stocked raw bar. A N’awlins-inspired brunch is served on weekends. Downstairs, a takeaway market sells sandwiches, spices, pastries and beverages. 240 North Highland Ave. N.E., 404.681.4434, parishatl.com. OFW

EUROPEAN FUSION

ECCO — Esquire Magazine named this casual, European-influenced bistro a best new restaurant in America. It’s received raves for its wine list, wood-fired pizzas, and impressive meat and cheese menus. 40 7th St. N.E., 404.347.9555, ecco-atlanta.com. M

ITALIAN

DAVIO’S NORTHERN ITALIAN STEAKHOUSE — At Phipps Plaza in the heart of Buckhead. 3500 Peachtree Road N.E., 404.844.4810, davios.com/atl. B

SEAFOOD/SUSHI

LURE — A modern interpretation of a classic fish house with a focus on seasonality and freshness. 1106 Crescent Ave., 404.817.3650. lure-atlanta.com. M

VEGAN

HERBAN FIX — With a mission to share the best fusion vegan cuisine with local residents, businesses and visitors, Herban Fix offers a fusion vegan menu to let you experience the most iconic food throughout different parts of Asia. Taking inspiration from various cuisines, the menu at Herban Fix is carefully crafted and plated and all the dishes are designed for sharing. Ingredients are premium select, organic, fresh and aimed at good health as well as great tasting. 565-A Peachtree Street NE, 404.815.8787. M

LA TAVOLA — Neighborhood hub for classic Italian comfort food has a cozy, exposed-brick interior & a back patio. 992 Virginia Avenue N.E., 404.873.5430, latavolatrattoria.com. M PRINCI | ITALIA — This chic Midtown eatery at the corner of 12th St. and Crescent Ave. serves seasonal Italian dishes, including homemade pastas, fresh vegetables, seafood and Napolitanostyle pizzas, in a warm, Tuscan farmhouse setting. Lunch: Mon. – Sat. 11 a.m. – 3 p.m.; dinner Mon. – Thurs. 3 – 10 p.m., Fri. & Sat. 3 – 11 pm., Sun. 3 – 9 p.m.; Sunday brunch 11 a.m. – 3 p.m. 77 12th St NE, Atlanta; 404.709.2058; princiitalia.com. M

HERBAN FIX’s sweet pea ravioli in curry jus with leeks and assorted mushrooms (above).

ALMA — A refreshing approach to contemporary Mexican cuisine. Bright, fresh ingredients and traditional regional influences come together with other Latin American flavors in vibrant dishes that feel familiar and new all at once. 191 Peachtree St. N.E., 404.968.9662, alma-atlanta.com. D EL TACO — An eco-friendly watering hole serving fresh Mexican food made with all-natural meats and tasty margaritas. 1186 North Highland Ave. N.E., 404.873.4656, eltaco-atlanta.com.VH

58 ENCOREATLANTA.COM

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FOX FUN FACTS

EVERYTHING YOU WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT THE EGYPTIAN BALLROOM

You’ll step back in time to the B.C. decades, when the pharoahs favored opulent splendor and mystique in their Middle Eastern palaces. The Egyptian Ballroom is lavishly decorated with sweeping columns and ornamentation. Here are few details about it: • The ballroom measures 6,840 square feet (that’s 90 feet by 76 feet). • As an event space, it holds 800 guests standing and 480 for banquets. • The space is now managed for private events through the “Affairs at the Fox,” program, a partnership struck last year by the Fox Theatre and Affairs to Remember Caterers. • In the past decade, the room hosted more than 100 proms, contributing to memories for nearly 40,000 guests. • The ballroom was designed, and served as, a banquet hall. • The space officially became the Egyptian Ballroom in 1939, when it first became available to the public for special events. • It’s named for its Egyptian décor. • The ballroom has authentic hieroglyphics but not in a readable order, should you have the skill to read hieroglyphics. 60 ENCOREATLANTA.COM

• One column in the room remains unchanged by 1980s renovations, left as is to pay homage to the building’s past and present. • The painting over the stage features the pharaoh Ramses II. • The ballroom hosted Prince Charles at a 1977 event for Queen Elizabeth II’s silver jubilee. • The room has hosted such acts as pop singers Tony Bennett and Michael Bublé; singersongwriter Taylor Dayne; the 1970s’ funk band Earth, Wind & Fire; pop-rocker Glenn Frey; powerhouse vocalist Jennifer Holliday; the great Elton John; and 1980s’ synth-funk band Midnight Star. • The Fox Theatre and its facilities made the 50 best wedding venues list for 2015 in American Bride magazine. • The Egyptian Ballroom can be seen on Fox Theatre tours, which generally take place on Monday, Thursday and Saturday. For more, visit http://foxtheatre.org/private-events/ egyptian-ballroom/.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE FOX THEATRE

The Fox Theatre invites you to walk like an Egyptian, or at least party like one, when you enter the Egyptian Ballroom, an excellent setting for weddings and receptions, corporate events and association functions.


Share the love this Valentine's Day.

Brookwood 678.608.0574 Brookwood Village - 1923A Peachtree Rd NE Free parking available behind CVS elementsmassage.com/brookwood Massage session includes time for consultation and dressing. The Elements Promise™ is not transferable and may not be redeemed for cash, bartered or sold. Void where prohibited or otherwise restricted by law. Substitute massage session equal in value and duration to original massage session. Not valid for discounted services and cannot be combined with any other offer. Other restrictions may apply; see studio for details. Each Elements Massage™ studio is independently owned and operated.

ATLANTA’S PERFORMING ARTS PUBLICATION 61


Dive in.

Just blocks from WooDruff Arts center At 1106 crescent Avenue 404.817.3650 | lure-atlanta.com | @lureAtl | facebook.com/lureatlanta

PRESENT YOUR TICKET STUB FOR 10% OFF YOUR MEAL!

READ ENCORE ATLANTA ONLINE Find out what you need to know before the show. Read the current and past Encore Atlanta programs for the Fox Theatre, Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, Alliance Theatre and The Atlanta Opera online at issuu.com/encoreatlanta.

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Join us for the 51st running of the

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Order your tickets today – call 404-237-7436 or visit www.atlantasteeplechase.org General admission tickets available at Ticketmaster.com, . select Publix supermarkets or charge-by-phone 800-745-3000.

APRIL 23, 2016


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Duluth  3383 Satellite Blvd.  (770) 680-1000

naLLey  LeXUs Roswell  980 Mansell Road  (678) 461-0800

Smyrna  2750 Cobb Parkway SE  (770) 428-9600

LeXUs  of  soUtH  atLanta Union City  4025 Jonesboro Road  (770) 969-0204


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